SunFlour is still rising up for loyal fans

Greer Wylder

SunFlour Natural Bakery quickly became a neighborhood favorite when

it opened in Costa Mesa 11 years ago. Customers immediately were

attracted to the bakery’s extensive selection of breads made from

natural ingredients, always served fresh with SunFlour’s

super-friendly service.

Loyalists made the extra effort to buy breads at SunFlour Natural

Bakery, rather than at a more convenient grocery store. At Christmas

and Thanksgiving, customers feasted on SunFlour’s freshly baked pies,

dinner rolls and iced holiday cookies. And schools and other

nonprofit organizations could always count on SunFlour for a generous

donation.

After five years, the bakery’s commercial business has increased

to the point where maintaining the retail store doesn’t make

financial sense. It will only operate commercially through its

warehouse bakery at Grace Lane in Costa Mesa, which supplies breads

and other bakery items to grocery stores and specialty markets

throughout Southern California.

Owner Craig Clayton, 46, closed the retail store on East 17th

Street last month, calling it a very difficult decision.

“The store felt like part of my family,” Clayton said. “It was

very sad. I miss seeing all of the people every single day. I miss

the daily exchange, my customers, the 17th Street merchants,

neighbors in the center. I don’t get any of that anymore.”

There is hope, though, for SunFlour’s loyal customers who have

been looking for its scones, cookie dough, iced cookies and more.

Promelis Westcliff Market in Newport Beach carries just about

everything that SunFlour bakes.

Other local stores that offer SunFlour’s goods include: Bristol

Farms at Corona del Mar Plaza; Irvine Ranch Market on Irvine Avenue

in Newport Beach; Mother’s Market and Growers Direct on East 17th

Street; and Growers Ranch on Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa. Other

Orange County stores that sell SunFlour products include: Wild Oats

in Seal Beach and Laguna Beach; Gelson’s in Dana Point and Irvine;

Wholesome Choice in Irvine; and Pacific Ranch Market on Chapman

Avenue (just past Orange Hill Restaurant) in Orange.

A lot of people miss SunFlour’s darling iced cookies, one of their

most popular items. SunFlour will continue taking those orders.

Customers can call to request forms, discuss shapes and then fax in

their orders. They can pick up the orders at the warehouse bakery in

Costa Mesa. For the summer season, SunFlour bakes fun shapes that

include surfboards, palm trees, hula girls, flip-lops, crabs and

starfish. There’s also a long list of other shapes available, such as

pigs, cows, horses, other farm animals and fruits. Holiday-theme

cookies are available, too.

SunFlour will also continue to support school fundraisers and

organizations throughout Orange County.

It’s a major change from the early 1990s, when Clayton (a father

of two in 1993, a father of six now) quit his job in commercial real

estate. The market had slowed down, and he was ready for a career

change. Although he knew nothing about baking bread or the bakery

business, the idea of owning a bakery intrigued him.

Clayton’s a bread fanatic. He loves bread more than any other

food. He says that no one in Orange County was baking artisan

soft-crusted bread at that time.

“I knew I wanted a bread bakery,” Clayton said. “I drove back as

far as Illinois researching bread bakeries and spoke with franchise

groups. I came up with the concept to open a bakery that specializes

in soft-crust, heavy, whole-wheat breads.”

Clayton took out a loan and, with the help of two master bakers,

opened SunFlour. During the first weeks in business, one baker from

Salt Lake City provided recipes, acted as a consultant and helped get

Clayton on his feet. Two months later, a baker from Los Angeles

taught Clayton how to make other bakery items, including pastries,

cookies, pies, scones and muffins.

The initial workload was tremendous.

“It was insane for three years,” Clayton said. “At two in the

morning, I’d go to work and finally finish work and go home at 10

p.m. It took some getting used to.”

Clayton baked everything himself for the first two to three years.

As business grew, he could hire help and step away from baking. He

then focused on purchasing, marketing, upgrading equipment and

improving customer service.

“I had so many more balls in the air as the business expanded,”

Clayton said.

Clayton struggled in his fledgling business and learned from his

mistakes. He said he was staring at disaster if he didn’t branch out

from breads and offer more bakery items. At one time, the bakery

served nine types of cinnamon rolls and a long list of breads,

cookies, scones, muffins, coffee cakes, pies and Danish. It was

difficult to break even, production wasn’t efficient, and some

labor-intensive items had to be discontinued.

“We were putting out products for the sake of variety, rather than

focusing on what was fabulous,” Clayton says. “Now we’ve simplified

our selections, we just put out what we make best.”

SunFlour’s main focus is made-from scratch breads. Its No. 1

seller has always been the nine-grain loaf that’s made from 100%

whole wheat, full of protein and complex carbohydrates.

“Everyone is so afraid of carbohydrates,” Clayton says. “But we

need whole grains. Even Atkins’ plan encourages whole grains.”

Other bread varieties include honey wheat, Jewish rye, raisin

walnut, pure white, Frontier, buttermilk, spinach, three seed, spelt,

Squaw, Wyoming sourdough LoCal and a low-carb loaf. The product list

also includes cookies, rolls, muffins, scones, pies and special

holiday treats, including pumpkin-shaped breads, Irish soda breads

and hot cross buns. It’s the only bakery that offers

cookie-decorating kits that make great gifts.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.