Artisan bread baker Companion Bakery on Feb. 2 opened its new headquarters in Maryland Heights, Mo. The company first announced it would be moving from its St. Louis headquarters into the new 41,000-square-foot facility in Maryland Heights last year.
Cassy Vires, chef

The new $5 million facility houses the company’s baking operations, a new cafe, a baking school and private event space. The 70-seat, 2,500-square-foot cafe will serve breakfast and lunch daily. The baking school is set to open in late April, and chef Cassy Vires has been hired to head up the school, which features a combination of baking and cooking classes. Classes will be scheduled five days/nights a week with curriculum for the serious home baker, professionals, children and families.

“Cassy brings an incredible level of professionalism along with an easy, approachable demeanor — exactly the kind of culinary talent we wanted to find to lead our Teaching Kitchen,” owner Josh Allen said. “She joins a team that already includes nationally acclaimed chef, Josh Galliano, and culinary instructors Price Barrett and George Guthier.”

Founded in 1993 with a vision to create wholesome European bread with simple ingredients, Companion Bakery has expanded into a multi-dimensional baking company with a growing wholesale grocery business delivering bread locally, regionally, and as far as Montana and Florida.