Breaking Bread

In 2022, Don Guerra won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker, the culinary world’s equivalent of an Oscar. This past April, he and his business partner Oren Molovinsky brought that award-winning passion to the Valley, opening Barrio Bagel & Slice in Gilbert. The new shop offers artisanal bread, bagels, sandwiches and pizza, but for Guerra, it’s another step in his lifelong mission to bake with purpose.

“It’s important to focus on Arizona suppliers, as we are trying to create a resilient, sustainable food system for Arizona,” Guerra said. “We want to grow the local grain economy and connect the community through delicious, nutritious food.”

Guerra’s path was unconventional. A Tempe native, he was studying anthropology at the University of Arizona when he took a summer job at a small Flagstaff bakery at age 22. “Right away, I knew this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life,” Guerra said. He read books about baking and traveled to France, Spain and Portugal.

“I wanted to learn as much as possible to be the best baker I could be,” he said. “I love the art, science and physicality of the work. Most of all, I love feeding people, which is what my family is all about.”

Inspired by his father — a barber who “loved building community” — Guerra opened his own bakeries. But as the business grew, he felt a different calling. He sold the business, returned to the University of Arizona to earn an education degree, and spent seven years as a teacher in Tucson.

But the yearning to bake eventually returned, with a new purpose. Guerra started a bakery in his garage, developing the Barrio Bread brand and baking hundreds of loaves a week. In 2015, a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture helped him open a Tucson storefront and partner with local farmers.

Today, Guerra’s bakery business rests on three pillars: educational outreach, local grain economy development, and baking exceptional bread with Arizona grain. The new Gilbert location is the culmination of that journey, a place where he can continue his advocacy, work with farmers and, most importantly, feed the community.

To learn more behind this Frontdoor, visit barriobagelandslice.com.