The SouthCoast Needs the ‘Bread Store’ to Make a Comeback

Once upon a time, the SouthCoast was fortunate enough to be able to buy day-old bread and other baked goods in places other than the lone rack at the back of Stop & Shop, Shaw’s or Market Basket.

Most of us simply called it the “bread store,” but it was where you’d go to get deeply discounted deals from companies like Wonder Bread, J.J. Nissen and Hostess.

Wareham in particular was an embarrassment of riches (which may seem like a pun considering the cost-cutting nature of day-old bread) when it came to bread stores, as we had one at each end of town.

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Back in the days when school snacks didn’t always have to be healthy, a trip to the bread store meant you’d load up on Twinkies, cupcakes, cookies, and who knows what else that would get you all loaded up on sugar during the middle of your school day.

For some reason, the cream horns at the bread store always tasted so much better than the ones at the supermarket. Perhaps it was the extra time on the shelf that allowed them to reach their full potential.

Alas, the popularity of the bread store began to wane as Walmarts became Walmart Supercenters and more grocery options meant better comparison pricing. It’s hard to believe, though, that people wouldn’t want to save a few bucks on baked goods considering today’s economy.

While it’s unlikely we’ll ever see the return of the discounted bread store, smart shoppers such as this writer know exactly where to find the day-old rack in every local market. That’s because we grew up learning to appreciate the gems we could find at the bread store.