A Brief History of Manghis’ Bread
Paul, Elaine, Maria, and Matt outside the bakery.
Elaine and Paul Manghi founded the Manghis’ Bread in their North Randolph home in the late 1970s. Their misson was to provide healthy, homestyle breads at an affordable price for local families.
The business moved to Montpelier in 1980. After a year, it found a comfortable home in the Victorian Prentiss House, located behind the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Elaine and Paul began the bakery to feed people a wholesome Vermont product, but to also feed themselves, provide a service to the community they have loved, and do a job they love. For Elaine and Paul, family and the ability to spend quality time with family was a key factor. The bakery allowed them to attain this.
Elaine Manghi.
From 1980 until 2010 Elaine and Paul were the constant faces of the bakery, arriving in the early morning and going strong until afternoon. In February 2010, Paul passed away unexpectedly. The dedicated staff rallied and kept the bakery running smoothly. For several more years, Elaine continued greeting customers and calling wholesale accounts at the bakery, her home away from home. She retired in the spring of 2014 with much appreciation from the staff and the larger community.
Manghis’ has evolved into a real family business. Elaine’s daughter, Maria, continues to work with the retail staff and now carries Paul’s operational duties. Elaine’s son-in-law, Steve, left New England Culinary Institute in 2010. He now carries Paul’s production duties, assisting the bakers to mix and bake the goods that are so loved. Elaine’s son, Matthew, occasionally jumps in to assist in both the production and retail sales.
The foundation of the business is still to provide wholesome breads, breakfast sweets, and seasonal holiday items at an affordable price for local families. Currently, the bakery is primarily a wholesale operation, selling anywhere from 1,800–3,000 loaves to roughly 40 small Vermont businesses each week. Over 35 + years of operation we have also found quite the following with local families and are growing a much larger retail business. From moms and tots coming from story hour to Lotus Lake campers, tourists to Montpelier area regulars, the bakery has many familiar faces!
Whether it is the regular loaf of white bread or the extra special bourbon cakes, Manghis’ is a warm and welcoming Montpelier establishment, offering a special mix of homemade treats and good character. We all look forward to many generations to come.
Press
We were profiled in the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus in October 2018: “Dough Rises a Second Time.”