Meet Melissa and Mark. Together, they own Barley Jean’s Bakery, which is about to begin a fresh chapter inside the newly opened District Exchange in Downtown Concord. Their first retail location will offer fresh-baked goods, dog treats and seasonal favorites in a community-centered marketplace.
Their journey began during the pandemic when Melissa and Mark, both teachers at the time, started experimenting with new hobbies. Inspired by their long-time love of craft beer, Mark had taken up homebrewing, which unexpectedly led to a surplus of unused grain. Melissa discovered that the leftover grain was packed with more protein and nutrients than other grains and could be transformed into something new. She started with dog treats, then expanded into breads, cookies and granola.
“It was a way to take something that usually gets thrown away and create something people (and their pets) could enjoy,” Melissa said. “At first, I was just selling to friends and coworkers, but then I started to dream about what else I could do.”
With a huge leap of faith, Melissa and Mark left their careers in education behind and moved from Colorado to Harrisburg, North Carolina, to be closer to family and to pursue their business full-time. The micro-bakery established from their new home was first named Barley Jean’s Biscuits and Bakery after their beloved dog, Barley Jean.
They began to develop partnerships with breweries in and surrounding Cabarrus County, not just to repurpose their unused grain, but also to craft custom dog biscuits and people-friendly treats that could be branded to the brewery and sold to their customers. This community-focused collaboration continues to be a successful component of their business model.
A turning point came in the fall of 2023, when the couple joined the Retail Lab, a six-week business boot camp hosted at the Cabarrus Center and powered by the Rowan-Cabarrus Small Business Center and the Flywheel Foundation. Retail Lab provides product-based entrepreneurs with training in branding, finances and sales, plus the chance to pitch for a small business grant.
During their Retail Lab experience, Melissa and Mark were strongly considering turning their business into a taphouse and bakery, combining their shared passions into one concept.
“One of the best things about Retail Lab was meeting the right people to talk to about what a commercial spot could even look like for us,” Melissa said. “It helped us think through every aspect of our brand and whether we really wanted to take that step. It created a little community that we had been missing since leaving teaching.”
However, they ultimately decided they could achieve the lifestyle most ideal for their whole family by remaining a bakery.
At the end of the Retail Lab program, Barley Jean’s was awarded one of the five micro-grants. That funding allowed the couple to purchase upgraded baking equipment, scaling their production from one batch of dog treats at a time to sixteen.
“The panel judging our pitch really validated us and gave us the confidence to keep going,” Melissa said.
Looking back, Melissa admits she never thought she would be running her own business.
“I used to say, ‘I’m just Melissa, what am I going to do, open a bakery?’” she laughed. “If it wasn’t for the Retail Lab, we probably would have given up by now or at least not be where we are today.”
The couple noted how pleasantly surprised and thankful they were to discover how many no-cost opportunities were available from the Small Business Center and programs from the Flywheel Foundation.
They also credit Mark’s mother, Theresa, for being an essential part of their journey. Took on the accounting and purchasing aspects of the business, leveraging online workshops through the Small Business Center, and will now run the new retail location most days. “We couldn’t juggle everything without her,” Melissa said.
At the time of this article publishing, Barley Jean’s Bakery has officially opened in the District Exchange. Melissa and Mark, along with their whole family, are ready to welcome customers with fresh bread loaves, cookies, granola, snack mixes, cinnamon rolls on weekends and their signature dog treats made in partnership with local breweries.
Their new home at the District Exchange, located at 22 Union Street North in Downtown Concord, hosts 17 retail spots and lots of space for the community to spend time and congregate.
Looking ahead, the Allens are excited to settle into their first retail space as well as continue creative partnerships with breweries all over the region. For details on their hours at District Exchange or to stay connected with Barley Jean’s bakery, visit www.barleyjeans.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @barleyjeansbakery.
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