JeannieBird Baking Company: Creating a Family Environment at a Bakery
(Originally written in Fall 2022 for Introduction to Food Studies)
For Bernie Vogel, creating a welcoming community at his restaurant, JeannieBird Baking Company, is vital. When I asked Bernie about the atmosphere he wanted to develop at JeannieBird, he responded instantly—“Community and family. Community and family. Community and Family.” Another part of this “community and family” philosophy is Bernie’s six critical requirements for his employees: “please, thank you, hello, goodbye, a smile, ‘what’s your name?’” No matter where in the restaurant his employees work, he expects these six requirements from them.
Even in the middle of our talking, Bernie, as some of his regular customers were walking out the door, said goodbye to them—which shows Bernie wants top-notch customer service. He mentioned the tips left are generous because of the welcoming community at his bakery. Bernie has been in the food and drinks business since the late 70s, and in 2014, Bernie and his late wife, Jeannie, opened JeannieBird in Westminster, Maryland, which they waited 25 years to do.
Something unique to JeannieBird is that their recipes are constantly changing. Except for their seven core products, which Vogel calls their “signature items,” belong to Vogel’s late wife before she passed away. Their signature items include bacon cheddar scallion scone, sweet potato biscuits, English muffins, granola, and chocolate almond torte. I have had JeannieBird’s bacon cheddar biscuit numerous times, and it is one of the best, if not the best savory pastry I have ever had. When I asked Bernie about their bacon cheddar scallion scone, he told me that when his late wife was looking for ideas, she wanted a savory option for breakfast. Vogel mentioned when he and Jeannie opened their business at the farmer’s market. They sold out of these scones, which would become one of their signature items. Bernie said, “Jeannie came back [the following week] with a different scone to add variety.” Bernie said the returning customers asked, “Where are the bacon cheddar scones you made last week?” Bernie recalls Jeannie, saying, “Well, I made something different this week.” Bernie said the customers told him and Jeannie that they like the bacon cheddar scallion scones–so Bernie and Jeannie ran with making the bacon cheddar scallion scones every week. Bernie added, “now we make a sweet scone and a bacon cheddar scone every day.” When I went into JeannieBird to interview Bernie, they had already run out of the bacon cheddar scallion scones when I arrived around 9:30 am. I can see why; it’s a very popular item, and the flavors work so well together—it is the best savory pastry I have ever tasted when I had tasted it previously.
Regarding the perks that Bernie has for his employees, Bernie mentioned that he pays well and the employees have very flexible hours. His employees get to take home any leftover food items at the end of the day, as JeannieBird does not serve food more than a day old, as freshness is vital to Bernie.
Bernie even knew who I was when I walked in and ordered my scone, as he recognized my voice from our phone call the day before. Let me say that it made me feel special and at home.
At JeannieBird, Bernie wants to provide so much more than just top-quality food at a very affordable price, he wants to offer a top-notch customer service experience, and he does. Regulars come back daily because of Bernie’s requirements for his staff on how to greet people. The team at JeannieBird remembers your name, which makes a huge difference in why their customers keep returning. When you’re at JeannieBird, Bernie and his staff treat you like family—All restaurants, especially small businesses, can learn from Bernie. Bernie knows how to create an at-home experience at his bakery, which more restaurants, especially in small towns like Westminster, need to start doing more of.
Another gesture that Bernie makes is checking in on every customer to see how their food and drinks are, but also getting to know his customers better, whether they’re first-time customers or returning customers. The first time I walked into JeannieBird, I felt welcomed right away, and that’s when I knew that I had my home at JeannieBird whenever I needed a place for great food and excellent customer service at an affordable price.
Photo creds: Baltimore Style
