Image courtesy of Bordenave's
 
Bordenave’s French Bread opened in 1918, when Frank Bordenave arrived in the United States from France. The San Rafael bakery started out specializing in pastries and cakes, but shifted to baking quality bread products during the Great Depression. Since that time, it has expanded to a much larger variety, including its now famous sourdough.

“He saw that people weren’t really buying so many pastries anymore and it was more breads that they were looking for. So he kind of switched gears and got into that,” says Bordenave’s manager Joseph Radwan about the bakery’s founder.

This year, Bordenave’s celebrates its centennial as it continues to produce thousands of loaves every day, all of them originating from the same sourdough starter Frank Bordenave brought back from Europe.

Bordenave’s continues to run a retail store, while also producing bread for Bay Area restaurants, delis, grocery stores, and more. Joseph Radwan will take over the business from his father later this year, and will continue to maintain traditions while also bringing Bordenave’s into the modern age.