We recently connected with Paul Flashnick and have shared our conversation below.
Paul, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
On February 1, 2020, The Challalujah Bakery opened a unique-to-Arkansas bakery in downtown Centerton, Arkansas. On our Grand Opening Day on Saturday Feb 1, we sold out within two hours, then on Sunday we sold out within three hours.
When you consider the timing of 2020 to launch a bakery, it is a miracle that we were able to grow a successful business with a loyal customer base.
The idea was planted.
I was an architect and had just retired ,end up as a baker? It starts with a memory, a need, and a purpose.
I grew up in the Bronx. My uncle would take me to all the best Brooklyn and Bronx spots and introduce me to bagels, traditional Black and White cookies, Babka, a chocolate sweet-braided bread, savory New York Rye, softly sweet Pumpernickel, and freshly baked Challah bread.
When I moved to Northwest Arkansas twenty years ago, I was frustrated. I couldn’t find any of the bakery items that I so dearly remembered.
I would ask my wife Sue to bake the bread like the challah. The kicker was that I didn’t just crave the bread my childhood; I also wanted them to be non-GMO without any “junk” ingredients. It didn’t take long for Sue to nail it.
Oh the Black and White cookie. You can’t find it. My wife 100% nailed it, totally.
The bakery almost stopped before it started.
We decided to take advantage of the Arkansas cottage industry and began selling our NYC-inspired baked goods at the Bentonville Arkansas Farmer’s Market in 2018 we started on 2nd Street which was not on the busy square of Bentonville, but Dillion the person who ran the Bentonville, Ar Farmers Market came down and tasted our products and he quickly moved our booth to the square. We would then sell out very quickly especially our Challah Cinnamon Rolls, we then tried the Rogers Arkansas Farmer’s Market in 2019 and customers would enjoy our Challah.
We then decided to look for a brick and mortar building as I was looking to retire and my wife found an available vacant 1860s Post Office building on Craigslist in downtown Centerton, Arkansas that was being offered by Dave and Jenny Marrs of the soon to be “Fixer to Fabulous ” remodel show on HGTV.
Rent was the first hurdle we crossed but Dave and Jenny worked out a backward rent lease, which allowed us to catch up as they progressed with the bakery after 3 years. Paul designed the layout for the bakery, but he was told that a fire requirement of an (Ansul ) vent system was needed per code ,which almost stopped everything in its tracks.
We then decided not to proceed because of the cost of the ansul. I called my son and said we were done and told him about the ansul issue and out of left field my son said he would pay for it, BUT
I then put on my architects hat and figured out a way to meet the requirement with a smaller size hood that would keep us on budget. This fix moved them forward and nothing – not even a pandemic – would stop them now.
Were now about to celebrate our 6th Year Anniversary.
“We do it for God”
The idea for Challalujah Bakery started with a memory, a need, and a purpose.
“Our three most important things: God is #1, family is #2, and #3 is the rest of how you present yourself in your life. God has always put me in strange positions and it’s always worked out. You would be amazed at some of the testimonies on the floor of the shop.
For example, a father came in recently with his wife and son. As the boy pointed to our Israel Star of David flag, the father went through the meaning. It floored me. They had just been going through the Bible and he explained it. That for me was all the work we put in, that was it. People just come, stand here and visit and share how they came to Yeshua. It’s is our mission through our bakery. That’s why we don’t worry about money or the marketing. He will provide. For the rest,
We are like missionaries here, doing the work through God’s work on the floor, and through nutrition because of what people have never tasted before. We do it all for God.”
The bakery’s name is a play on words: Challah (pronounced “hall-uh) the bread + hallelujah (praise to God) = Challalujah.
It’s also about breaking bread and community.
There are three things that Challalujah Bakery is known for: (1) they’re a Jewish bakery (Messianic), (2) their mostly organic, and (3) they have an extensive Keto goodies.
Some of the other traditional baked goods we provide are rye bread, marble rye bread, pumpernickel bread, five-ingredient vegan sourdough bread, cinnamon rolls, Kyya-chocolate Babkas, cookies, muffins, brownies, and of course Challah breads.
“We love the community. They’ve adopted us.
What’s up with the squirrel mascot?
Jeremy , a close friend of mine, once took me to the downtown Bentonville Squirrel Festival. I thought after the event, “Why not do something with the squirrel? I created our banners for the farmers markets and the outside building sign with him where he’s praising God and manna from heaven is coming down!”
So our squirrel is prominent. He greets you from the door to the walls to the ceiling and yes, to even cookies and merchandise shaped as the squirrel. The whole thing is designed so that you can come through the door… and smile all the time praising GOD.
Challalujah Bakery
271 N. Main Street,
Centerton, Arkansas 72719
479-799-7087
HOURS: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday
Closed Sunday and Monday
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have no pride in anything that I have accomplished here. I am a servant of YAWA (God). My only reason to be here is to serve the I AM and be a warrior for him. All the jobs that I have had that is what I have tried to do and will always do until HE calls me Home.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I met my wife Sue at the Fayetteville Arkansas Farmers Market in September and married her on July 7th the following year, we are now married almost 14 years, I adore her and have remarried her 2 other times, one was inside our bakery
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
God then word of mouth and a quality product.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://challalujahbakery.com
- Instagram: challalujah Bakery
- Facebook: challalujah Bakery
- Youtube: challalujah Bakery
- Yelp: challalujah Bakery
Image Credits
none