Thumb Bread®

October was good to us! Before we head into a very busy November, we wanted to stop and say thank you once again to everyone that welcomed us into their stores. We had a blast mingling and melting with our friends at poppi, sampling with new vendor friends, Hoboken Farms, meeting new customers, making pumpkin pizza toast, sharing our story with local, special ED high school students, and breaking bread with you all! ❣️

Today is the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we wanted to give a special shout out to Inserra Supermarkets, Inc. dietitian, Lynette Hem-Lee, RDN. As a breast cancer survivor, Lynette has made it one of her many missions to support awareness. She put together and hosted various community-centric events throughout October, a couple of which Thumb Bread® was proud to support. Her dedication to being actively involved in the community is inspiring and shines a light on her beautiful soul. 🙏🏼 #breadmaking #cpgindustry #givingback

Do you sell #groceries?yes! But we try to be so much more…#thankyou to our #newmilford #team Dana McLaughlin, RDN Lynette Hem-Lee, RDN Jessica Thalmann @richard scott @amanda labanca Nick Olano Thumb Bread® hosted this amazing #breastcancerawareness event in our #shoprite of New Milford! Hackensack Meridian Health John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center - raising awareness and funds! #proud to work with a team that cares so deeply!🙏🏽💯

Launching Thumb Bread® has been a journey filled with challenges, growth, and gratitude. Since the very first test batch I made back in 2007 until now, one thing has remained constant: the joy of turning simple ingredients into something special. From the very first roll to today, every single piece that passed through my hands felt special. No matter if I was sad, happy, tired, burnt out, or on the verge of tears- I kept on baking. No matter what life threw our way... I never stopped perfecting my craft and making sure every single roll was the best it could possibly be. Through the highs and lows of running and growing this business, my sisters and I kept smiling, learning, and having fun, even on the worst days. This video and song we wrote is a reminder that no matter how tough things get- passion, perception, and dedication make all the difference. Grateful for every moment and every crumb shared. Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of this journey—your support has been the greatest ingredient of all. Here’s to many more rolls together! #breadmaking #cpgindustry #femalefounder

Have you ever seen a more perfect roll? Made with love and passion. Always. Thumb Bread® 🥰 #breadmaking #bakery #cpgindustry

Huge congratulations to the team at Shoprite of Palisades Park in NJ, whose hard work, passion, and creativity showed up big time for their annual Customer Appreciation Day! Thumb Bread® is so proud to be a part of this store’s Fresh Bakery. #cpgindustry #bakerybusiness #breadmaking #retail #thumbbread

We had us a time! Our poppi x Thumb Bread® grilled cheese social, Mingle & Melt, was a vibe. We laughed, danced, made new friends, served 100+ grilled cheese sandwiches, and gave customers the opportunity to sample the iconic flavors of Poppi! Thank you to Shaney Lara and the NJ regional sales team, Poppi HQ for their support and for building such an incredible brand (and team), the Inserra Supermarkets family (WE LOVE YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH!), Amahl Cain, Pooja Patel, MS, RD, CDN, and Dana McLaughlin, RDN. Our energies collided, meshed, and turned our pink and purple nook into a magical wonderland. And TEAM HOBOKEN... you have been our DAY ONES from the very moment we showed up to activate Thumb Bread®. Your friendliness, warmth, and energy is unmatched. You're all so real and every time we step into the store, we feel the love. THANK YOU! 💓 See you all next time! 😘 #cpgindustry #bakerybusiness #breadmaking #retail

I hope you’ll stay to read this story—promise, it has a happy ending. Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that poppi is heading for a billion dollars in sales. You’ve likely heard Allison Ellsworth’s amazing founder story (which I love)… But I want to share a different side—the heart of the brand that connected my sisters, Thumb Bread®, and me with them. After another long night of baking, my sisters and I dragged ourselves to ShopRite of Hillsdale for an event. We were exhausted beyond words—back-to-back baking sessions until 3 AM for two weeks straight, plus deliveries, caring for our bedridden mom, and nonstop in-store events. My body, brain, and soul were just done. In the midst of all that, Arzu and I needed an outlet for our air fryer. I went searching for one and found a vibrant young woman who was proudly representing one of my favorite brands. Enter Shaney Lara, decked out in cute Poppi gear. I struck up a conversation, probably sounding half-crazed from lack of sleep, but I told her how much I loved Poppi and how I wished I could rock some Poppi merch too. Shaney didn’t miss a beat. She pulled out some Poppi gear and said, “I got you, girl.” Then Arzu Esendemir showed up, and Shaney gave her the last shirt she had, the one she was saving to wear for her sales route. Shaney’s natural inclination to make sure everyone felt included was so beautiful. We vibed instantly. She suggested we team up for an event, and within a few days, we had one planned—and it was an absolute blast. Shaney and her team trusted us to set it up, and I can’t express enough gratitude for how much joy that collaboration brought to our lives. It’s amazing to be a part of a female-led, billion-dollar brand like Poppi. But what’s even more amazing is the heart behind the brand. Shaney truly embodies Poppi—passionate, kind, tough, and generous enough to literally give you the shirt off her back. Watching her hustle out in the field has been inspiring. The energy she brings lights up a room and connects deeply with people. This is what Poppi is all about, and it’s what we’re building with Thumb Bread, too. Huge thanks to Poppi, the Inserra team for their unconditional support, and the ShopRite in-store team for blowing up balloons, letting us turn the dietitian’s nook into a pink and purple wonderland, and cheering us on—even when they weren’t quite sure why I was placing pink arrows on the floor. Poppi showed up in every way, liking and commenting on our posts, encouraging us, and making us feel seen. And thank you to Arzu who encouraged me to use my favorite color scheme for the event decor and props!! 😘 Special shoutouts to Pooja Patel, MS, RD, CDN (always amazing!), Dana McLaughlin, RDN for showing up to support us after an already long work day, and Amahl Cain — bestie, you already know! And Shaney, girl, you are a superstar. Keep doing your thing. 💜 Xoxo 😚 #cpgindustry #bakerybusiness #poppi #thumbbread

Come hang with us and poppi at ShopRite of Hoboken, NJ as we sample delicious grilled cheese sandwiches on Thumb Bread® alongside Poppi’s iconic flavors. ❣️ Monday, October 7th 💞 2 PM to 5 PM See you there! #cpgindustry #breadmaking #bakerybusiness #femalefounder

I am so excited to sample Thumb Bread® alongside the one and only poppi! 💕 My sisters and I LOVE everything about this brand and it’s such a dream to have this opportunity. We’ll be serving up grilled cheese sandwiches made on mini Thumb Breads paired with the iconic flavors of Poppi at Shoprite of Hoboken, NJ on Monday, October 7th in the dietitian’s book (thank you Pooja Patel, MS, RD, CDN for hosting us!. Can’t wait! (Shout-out to Shaney Lara for the Poppi shirt… I’m obsessed!) 📸 Gonca Esendemir 💕 Amahl Cain #cpgindustry #femalefounder #bakerybusiness