The Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery Marks 20 Years of Service

An empty nest, some guidance from God, and home cooked meals are what drove Judy Sexton to open the Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery 20 years ago this June.

Growing up, Sexton spent a lot of time in the restaurant industry, whether washing dishes or running payroll, she just knew she was helping her dad with his business. What she didn’t know was that one day she’d be running her own.

As a mom to three, she had spent a good portion of her life caring for others, but then when her youngest, JinAyla left the house, Sexton was at a loss. “I realized for the first time in my life, I am not going to have somebody to take care of,” Sexton explained. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.”

As a woman of faith, Sexton sought answers from the lord, and he delivered.

“He opened these doors that I could not see that it was his plan for me. So that’s why I decided to open The Bread Basket. He said, ‘bread basket’ and ‘tell people (John 6:51)’ – the scripture. So those are two things that were very important to me,” Sexton added. John 6:51 states “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

The Bread Basket Cafe & Bakery opened its doors in Coatesville on June 2, 2005. “I couldn’t anticipate the volume of business that would come,” Sexton said. ”I had opened with two people helping me cook and two people helping me in the dining room. And it didn’t take long to realize I needed more help.”

And so the restaurant’s growth began.

Sexton started hiring bakers, cooks, and other help and the café’s tables, chairs, and pie case began filling up. Six and a half years in the Coatesville location later, and Sexton and The Bread Basket decided it was time for a change. After attending a farmers market in Danville, the owner recognized the potential for even more growth. Thus, she expanded her business to a shop near the square.

“We opened a little storefront up north of the square, right across from the Kickstand ….We would bake our breads and cakes and pies and she would come in and run that little shop.”

The “she” Sexton is referring to is JinAyla Bollman, her youngest daughter and business partner. The two now run the cafè together.

“It’s been nice to have JinAyla on board with me, because I couldn’t do what we do without her hands in it,” Sexton shared.

Bollman ran the Danville storefront for two years before yet another opportunity arose - a little house a few blocks from the square became available to rent.

The location continues to be the home of the highly coveted Bread Basket Café & Bakery. “It’s been quite a roller coaster,” the owner said. “I’ve just seen so much change and so much growth and pride taken in making Danville a place to spend an hour or a lifetime.”

And as for the next 20 years?

“Who knows. I have no desire to walk away from this. I love what I do.”