Closing a Chapter

I've always believed that bread has a funny way of leading you exactly where you're supposed to go.

When I opened Slate Sourdough, I thought I was opening a bakery.

Looking back, I think I was really starting an education.

Taking the Leap

I grew up around bread. As a third-generation baker, I always loved the craft, but there's a world of difference between baking a beautiful loaf and building a bakery around it. I wanted to see if I could do both.

So I took the leap.

Over the last few years, we've mixed thousands of kilograms of dough, baked thousands of loaves, laminated more croissants than I care to count, taught workshops, made lifelong friends, and built a little community around naturally leavened bread in downtown Tulsa.

Some mornings started well before sunrise. Others ended long after the ovens had cooled. There were incredible highs and plenty of difficult moments, just like every small business.

And I wouldn't trade any of it.

What Running Slate Taught Me

Running Slate taught me more than baking ever could.

It taught me how difficult it is to run a modern bakery. Production planning. Purchasing. Scheduling. Inventory. Hiring. Payroll. Equipment failures. The never-ending balancing act between craftsmanship and keeping the lights on.

Every bakery owner I met had the same story.

None of us got into baking because we loved spreadsheets.

We got into baking because we love making bread.

That realization stayed with me.

Passing the Torch

Today, I'm closing one chapter and beginning another.

I've sold Slate's intellectual property, recipes, and brand to another local bakery. Knowing Slate will continue makes this decision feel less like an ending and more like a passing of the torch. I'm genuinely excited to see where they take it.

What Comes Next

As for me, I'm staying exactly where I've always wanted to be: in bakeries.

Over the next chapter, I'll be traveling America, spending time baking alongside some of the country's best bakers. I want to keep learning. Every bakery has its own way of mixing, shaping, fermenting, serving customers, and building culture. There is still so much I don't know, and that's what excites me most.

At the same time, I'm building Kawsty.

Everything I'm creating comes directly from the lessons learned at Slate.

The goal isn't to tell bakers how to bake.

It's to help them spend less time buried in administration and more time doing the work they love.

If Kawsty can give a baker another hour each day to spend with dough instead of paperwork, I'll consider that a success.

Slate Was My Bridge

People have asked me whether I'm sad to close Slate.

The answer is kind of bittersweet.

But I'm even more excited for what's next.

Some businesses are destinations.

Others are bridges.

Slate was my bridge.

It gave me the confidence to pursue baking at a deeper level, introduced me to an incredible community, and showed me a problem worth solving.

To everyone who bought a loaf, attended a class, trusted me with your mornings, or simply stopped in to say hello, thank you.

You were part of a chapter I'll never forget.

This isn't goodbye to bread.

If anything, it's the beginning.

I can't wait to bring you along for what comes next.