SCORE Success Story of PureBread Deli, Bakery and Café

Take a novel concept, a catchy theme, blend it with a diverse menu, a great location, and lots of hard work and planning, and the outcome is PureBread: Deli, Bakery & Café. 

PureBread, an upscale deli, bakery, and café concept, opened for business on September 19, 2001 in Stoney Creek Plaza, in the Pike Creek Valley. Less than 15 months later, the second PureBread location opened its doors in the Greenville Crossing Shopping Center on Route 52 in Greenville, Delaware. Choosing the locations was based on area demographics, competition, and the need for an upscale, quick-casual dining experience. 
For several years, partners, Ken Alkire, 36, and Mike Nardozzi, 31, had been working together as general managers for a local restaurant group. Ken handled the financial operations while Mike focused on the marketing, and they shared operational duties. During their tenure, the pair was responsible for opening, closing, and renovating several restaurants in the group. 

Alkire and Nardozzi believed they could run a successful restaurant, but also knew that they wanted a concept that would differentiate their product. Sharing a passion for dogs, the pair came up with the concept of combining canine monikers with gourmet sandwiches on fresh-baked bread resulting in “PureBread”. Their main theme revolves around a sense of fun and relaxation. It is reflected in the decor-black and white photos of dogs-all sizes, shapes, poses and breeds surround you as you enjoy a cup of coffee and a muffin or a sandwich-identified by the breed. Mike says, “We wanted to bring a sense of the community into our deli, so we went to local parks and photographed dogs in action. When the owners see their dog’s photo pictured on the wall, it’s the best advertisement we could have,” says Mike. “We never had to advertise other than grand opening road signs.’ ‘Word of mouth has brought us our customers.” says Ken. 
PureBread prides itself on using only top-quality ingredients and the freshest-baked bread. Baking starts daily at 4:00am and continues throughout the day. All leftover baked goods are donated to the Delaware Food Bank at the end of each day. In addition to sandwiches, the restaurant offers gourmet coffee, soups, salads, take-out catering and much more. 
The partners attribute much of their success to their complimentary visions of managing a restaurant. They believe their prior experience has given them a level of confidence to handle the various problems that can, and do arise while opening and managing their restaurants. The partners firmly believe that their staff is what makes their business a success. “Without a good team of people that work hard and genuinely care about the end product, a business is likely to fail”, says Alkire. 

Alkire and Nardozzi both agree that planning is the major factor in a business’ success. In order to fine-tune their business plan, the pair sought the help of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives). Nardozzi had discovered SCORE several years ago when he and his brother, a local chef, decided to plan and open a restaurant. The pair attended a SCORE workshop on Business Planning. During the seminar, Ray Smith, a SCORE counselor, thoroughly explained the business planning process and the difficult questions that entrepreneurs must ask themselves and answer honestly. After that meeting, Nardozzi realized that his business plan forecasted possible failure. Although that business wouldn’t get off the ground, Mike kept in contact with Ray and when it came time for Mike to join forces with Ken, he was their first contact. 

Seeking advice on securing a loan, Smith recommended the Small Business Administration, since SCORE works closely with that agency. Smith advised they consult with SCORE counselor, Lucinda Papa, who had prior experience in restaurant planning. Papa was astonished at the detailed business plan the pair had already prepared, and immediately began to examine every detail of the proposed business. 

Lucinda explains her role with Ken and Mike as one of mentor, more than counselor. She is the mediator and sounding board for new decisions and offers practical business advice. She helps the pair make decisions by playing “devil’s advocate” in questioning all the factors. Nardozzi described it best when he said, “Lucinda is our adrenaline - getting us to take action when we have made a case for change, but are hesitant to move ahead.” 

Nardozzi and Alkire intend to continue opening more PureBread restaurants, but are quick to add that they are cautious and will proceed only with thorough long-term planning. Their motto is “Manage the present, plan for the future.” They do not want to set a definite time table for opening new locations, but they feel that the boundaries are unlimited. And to give SCORE the ultimate compliment, Mike contends that his future goal is to be a SCORE counselor.