Dorothy Lane Market expands bakery

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Dorothy Lane Market has purchased a new German oven to bake its bread, and has moved the bakery into its back warehouse space in Washington Township to expand its capacity.

Olivia Barrow

Senior Reporter- Dayton Business Journal

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One of Dayton's top grocery stores is making another investment in its prepared foods offerings.

Dorothy Lane Market has purchased a new German oven to bake its bread, and has moved the bakery into its back warehouse space in Washington Township to expand its capacity, said Scott Fox, vice president of the DLM bakery.

Prepared foods is one of the biggest areas grocery stores distinguish themselves from each other, and DLM has been a leader in that category for years, garnering local and national attention. A new oven will allow DLM to continue to compete locally and nationally in that market.

"We were in the 20th century as far as our oven and our loading system," Fox said.

Related: Here's a look at DLM's history in photos.

The new more consistent and more efficient oven, now operating in a 3,000-square-foot space in the building behind the Washington Township DLM store, will allow the bakery to significantly increase its production. Fox said the investment of more than $200,000 will pay off as the bakery adds more breads made with sprouted grains and ancient grains, which are in high demand.

"We have not even pursued wholesale business in the past because we couldn't keep up with our own stores," he said. "Now we will have the capacity for wholesale business."

Related: How Norman Mayne brought DLM from bankruptcy to industry leader.

The new bakery will be operational by Nov. 11, Fox said. The grocery store will continue to have an operating bakery in the store making cookies and pastries, but the back shop of the bakery where the current oven is will become warehouse space.

Dorothy Lane Market is facing a new set of challengers in the Dayton region as stories such as Whole Foods set up shop.