Bub Bread Bag

ANNOUNCEMENT - BREAD PROGRAM CANCELLED

BUB x Coco’s Mystery Bags cease as supply greater than demand. No bread at current time.

Back in the early days of the pandemic, food supply was in question, the farmer’s market was closed, we were sanitizing our groceries and we didn’t understand the risks of Covid and how to mitigate them.

Contactless purchased bread for you and your neighbors to fill freezers made the most sense in the world. And it made sense for Bub’s as they lost the lion share of their income overnight when restaurants and farmer’s markets closed. And it made sense for Coco’s as we already had an e-commerce site, staffed retail presence and close relationship with the Bubber’s.

We are extremely proud and grateful for the wartime success of the program. At our peak, we were selling 500 loaves a week. It was experimental distribution wherein a bike store sells bread in quantities greater than a single person could consume to encourage neighbor distribution and stocked freezer larders.

Will it come back? Maybe. Coco’s and Bub’s are still under extraordinary logistical and financial constraints due to reduced productivity and finances. Though we too are excited by the light at the end of the tunnel, the fact remains we haven’t even begun to rebuild the damage caused by being in that tunnel for a year.

When productivity and capacity return and safety is more assured, we may rekindle that Bub x Coco x You love fest and take another stab creating an offering that fits that time and space.

Peace be with you.

 

What it is:

From the fertile minds of Bub and Grandma’s and Coco’s Variety Bike Shop, we bring you the return of “Bub Bags” - a mystery bag filled with a selection of Bub and Grandma's bread and an occasional special nugget of extra all for $20 bag - minimum of 2 bags per order.

 

Exact contents remain a mystery depending on what is baked on the given day, but you can reliably expect a big loaf, a baguette or chunk of foccacia and sweet something in each bag. Something for dinner tonight, a loaf for the week and something sweet to eat on the way home and deny it's presence to the family. There are often overages in the bakery business, so if your bag has some extras you can thank Queen Mystery Bag for the abundance!

 

A two bag minimum limits retail traffic at Coco's and gives you a bag to share or freeze.

 

Each month, Bub and Coco's donates 10% of the bread revenue to a charity.

 

This Month - Jermell Akins Recovery Fund

Coco's mechanic Aaron Swanton used to run the youth program at Blackstone Bicycle Works on the South Side of Chicago. Jermell Akins was one of the kids that benefited from the program and was mentored by Aaron. His involvement with bicycles became a cornerstone of his life as he started a bike coop in New Mexico and was working as professional mechanic at Chicago's city bike program, Divvy.

On November 30, Jermell was shot three times while walking from his car to his mother's apartment. There is no known motive and nobody has been arrested in connection with Jermell's attempted murder. A healthy and fit guy, he has staged a remarkable recovery but there is still a long way to go.

10% of February bread proceeds will be donated the Jermell Akins Recovery Fund.

 

How it works:

Each Thursday, the Bub crew creates grab bags of bread. They let us know how many bags they were able to make from the day's bake and we put them in inventory on the website. There are no pre-orders.

 

We post the day's bread inventory at 1 PM sharp. Make your purchase online - choose local pick-up. We do not ship.  No need to call and see if it is ready - it is.

 

Pick-up the bread the same day as purchase before 5 PM at Coco's Variety at 2427 Riverside Drive 90039 at our six foot deep streetside counter or call us (323-664-7400) to say you are here for your bread and tell us the name of the online purchaser. We will come out the side door wearing mask set your bread on the white table.

 

"What if I don't make by the listed closing times?"

We take the bread home and to eat, freeze and share with our friends and neighbors. There will be no refunds - Bub's is baking bread for this effort and it is committed to you. You won't get your money back or get bread, but that $20 goes to an amazing cause of helping two fine small businesses at the toughest of times. 

 

"Can I just come by and pay or come at the end of the day and see if there is any left?"

Respectfully, no. Maybe some day! But this sounds simple and may prove so, but so far in this crisis everything has been pretty hard.

 

"Can I pre-order?"

Respectfully, no. We don't know how many bread bags will be available until we add them to inventory. 

 

"Is it really sold out?"

Yeah, if it is after 1 PM on a bread day and the website says we are sold out, then we are sold out.

"Can I buy more than two bags?"

Yes. We encourage you to buy multiples and distribute to your friends and neighbors. Ideally, we would sell 100 bags to 5 people that leave those 99 bags on 99 friends and families door steps. This in a experiment in non-traditional distribution and you are one of the non-traditional distributors. 

 

Why it works:

You purchase on our website eliminating the challenges of physical financial commerce during this difficult time.

 

When you buy a Bub Bag, you know you are going to get bread. No going to store and wondering if the shelves will be bare except canned turnips.

 

When you buy a Bub Bag, you don't know exactly what you are going to get in the bag and that is fun.

 

No lines. One person at a time. We are going give each other a safe 6 feet.

 

You support two essential small businesses that are remaining open to support the community and keep our employees paid. Believe me, Andy and I would rather be at home complaining about how bored we are.

 

Minimizes waste as bread at the end of the baking day is distributed completely.

 

We make material, meaningful donations to critical charities.

 

During this crisis, Coco’s is committed to essential bicycle repairs, bicycle and parts purchases for work, commute, fun, health and sanity and we are keeping their interactions short and sweet with emphasis on essential. We are also committed to getting you amazing bread.

 

Details may change but we wanted you to know we are thinking of you, our employees, everyone’s safety and your bread basket.