Who knew the SBA would save Three Brothers Bakery for a 3rd time as it approached its 71st anniversary? "What a difference a year can make," said Bobby Jucker, co-owner.
"Early on we realized if we can sell 10,000 pies, 1 pie at a time, our entire bakery ecosystem will benefit. Jobs at the bakery would be saved and our suppliers would benefit as well. There is a domino effect trickling down" said Janice Jucker, bakery co-owner.
HOUSTON (PRWEB) May 05, 2020
2019’s 70th anniversary celebration for Three Brothers Bakery was quite a day beginning with being awarded the SBA’s Family Owned Small Business of the Year for the Houston District, a visit from the SBA’s Regional Administrator and District Director, and VISA, the sponsors of the SBA Small Business Week plus celebrating with the bakery’s larger, supportive community. The celebrations came with federal, state and city recognitions.
Fast forward one year later and who knew then that the SBA would be saving their business with a PPP loan approaching their 71st anniversary?
For the third time in its history, the SBA is saving Three Brothers Bakery with a loan program – 1st with a disaster loan after Hurricane Ike, 2nd with disaster loans after Hurricane Harvey and this year with a PPP loan enabling the bakery to survive the economic downturn associated with the COVID 19 pandemic.
"After surviving 4 floods, a fire and a hurricane we are experts at small business disaster recovery, but this one has been absolutely the hardest economically; what a difference a year can make," said Bobby Jucker, co-owner Three Brothers Bakery.
"Early on we realized if we can sell 10,000 pecan pies, 1 pie at a time, our entire bakery ecosystem will benefit. Jobs at the bakery would be saved and our suppliers would benefit as well. There is a domino effect trickling down to the box maker, the pecan grower, the bakery supply house, our printer and more," said Janice Jucker, bakery co-owner.
While this year there will be no cake or large celebration, Bobby and Janice Jucker, co-owners of Three Brothers Bakery, will be commemorating the special day at their Braeswood location with cookies for 71¢ each*. Additionally, they have created Mitzvah Funds and are encouraging their loyal following to donate $7.10 to commemorate the special day. Mitzvah is Hebrew for Good Deed. After receiving some media attention for their struggles to survive yet another disaster people began sending them money to use to bake for others in need and helping keep their team employed. After receiving a number of “donations” plus a grant from the Texas Restaurant Relief Fund, sponsored by Spoetzel Brewing, the makers of Shiner Beer, the Juckers decided to formalize a program. The donations help keep their team working, feeds those in need and the Juckers give those supported a wholesale discount, which allows the funds to feed even more. Those the Mitzvah funds support are:
- Emergency Aid Coalition: The EAC provides emergency relief to those most in need through sack lunches, food pantries, provision of school supplies, and clothing centers. Emergency Aid Coalition uses the baked goods within their sack lunch program.
- Feed the Frontline HTX: FTFL is a non-profit organized to provide support to local restaurants while feeding healthcare workers and first responders. The food provided by them shows appreciation and thanks to those who work on the frontlines.
- Homeless & Hungry – Jay Hamburger: For over 30 years Three Brothers Bakery has worked with Jay Hamburger to feed the homeless every week. Read about Jay’s work with vulnerable populations here and also donate directly to his GoFundMe page.
- Jewish Family Service: JFS is a non-profit offering support to those with disabilities, mental illness, and the elderly. Three Brothers Bakery has worked with their Celebration Company for over a decade and are proud to partner with them to provide food for the elderly and those in need within the Houston community. Those wanting to give to them directly can do so here.
- Restaurant & Hospitality: Second Servings is a non-profit seeking to end food waste in Houston. They have committed to providing 10,000 meals a week to the hospitality industry. The bakery believes it best to donate dollars directly to their initiative here.
For more information regarding Three Brothers Bakery, their 71st anniversary and Mitzvah Funds, PPP loans or small business disaster recovery please contact Janice Jucker at 713-299-2139 or media(at)3brothersbakery(dot)com.
About Three Brothers Bakery
The traditions of Three Brothers Bakery began in Chrzanow, Poland circa 1825, and were preserved despite the family’s concentration camp imprisonment during the Holocaust. Their miraculous liberation, and subsequent move to Houston, brought Eastern European scratch baking traditions to 4036 S. Braeswood Blvd, 12393 Kingsride Lane, and 4606 Washington Ave where the owners are now proud to call themselves “memory makers who happen to be bakers®.” Perfecting the process for almost 200 years, each day the fifth generation scratch bakers produce mostly dairy-free breads and pastries, cookies, a full line of specialty dessert cakes and pies, as well as custom birthday, special occasion, wedding and groom’s cakes using only the highest quality ingredients.
The Three Brothers Bakery pecan pie was named “the Best Mail Order Pecan Pie America has to offer” by Country Living magazine multiple times; bakery owner, Bobby Jucker, competed in the popular ‘Food Network Challenge’ and has been seen on Food Network’s Outrageous Food and other national food shows. Three Brothers Bakery won “Best Mail-Order Pies 2012” from Bon Appetit, as well as Modern Baking’s “2013 Retail Bakery of the Year” and was part of The Knot’s “2010-2013 Best of Weddings” and “Hall of Fame” picks. In 2019, the bakery won the SBA’s Family-Owned Small Business of the Year by the Houston division. Three Brothers Bakery was named one of “America’s 20 Best Bakeries” by The Daily Meal in 2016 and in 2017 blue ribbon champion at the American Pie Council’s National Pie Championship for their key lime pie in that category, and in 2018, the bakery’s Pumpecapple Pie Cake was featured on BuzzFeed’s ‘Worth It’ web series.
In 2018, Three Brothers Bakery received the SBA Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery and encourages everyone to “shop disaster zones” to help small businesses recover after disasters.
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