Jenna and Matt Bresnan are ready to break bread in McKinney.
The husband-and-wife owners of Bresnan Bread and Pastry have signed a 1,500-square-foot lease on a space off the square in downtown McKinney and will move their operations there this fall. They hope to open by mid-September.
McKinney residents, the Bresnans currently share a space with another company in Dallas’ Design District, where they bake their bread and pastries overnight. The couple has been waiting to make the move closer to home ever since they signed the lease last year.
The new storefront will be located at 301 E. Louisiana St.
The Bresnans quit their jobs (both worked in the food industry) in January 2020, and have since dedicated their efforts to expanding the business. Their bread journey began in 2018 when Matt started baking bread and other pastries to sell at area farmers markets including Saint Michael’s Farmers Market in Dallas. Over the past two years, other specialty grocers such as the now-closed Royal Blue Grocery in Highland Park Village and Local Yocal in McKinney got in on the delicious action.
Customers can currently pick up orders at Brown Bag Provisions in the Design District on Saturdays. Jenna Bresnan said business has been brisk, despite COVID-19.
“We went all in [in January 2020] and two-and-a-half months later, the pandemic hit,” she said. “But it actually did wonders for our business.”
Bresnan’s baked goods are in the viennoiserie tradition, made from a yeast-leavened dough. The laminated layers achieve an addictive, tangy effect. Country Sour, Everything Bagel-Spiced and Green Chile are among the offerings. Pastries include orange cardamom morning buns, croissants and monkey bread.
While Matt works the ovens, Jenna feels more at home interacting with people — which will come in handy at their new McKinney store.
“I’ve always been more of a front-of-house girl,” she said. “We complement each other well,” she said of her husband.
The McKinney location will have a grab-and-go counter, as well as a coffee program featuring Dallas-based Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters.
Two months away from opening their dream store, the Bresnans are looking for bakers as well as a barista and delivery driver. Right now, it’s just the two of them, baking bread and managing the influx of weekly orders in the Design District.
Jenna said they will still offer a pickup option in Dallas, but may move to a more “centrally located” area.
In the meantime, with a more streamlined schedule, they are excited about getting back to selling at the area’s farmers markets, where their business began.
