The Daily Bread

For the longest time, The Daily Bread was nothing more than a secret dream; a little idea I carried in my heart and wondered if I would ever get the chance to make a reality. I can even remember being younger and drawing pictures of what I imagined my bakery would look like. Somehow, that dream that once felt so far away is now sitting right here in front of me.

But The Daily Bread is more than just a name. It is a piece of my family’s story.

Thirteen years ago, my mom never planned on owning a restaurant. She was working a side job cleaning the Crab Orchard Museum when she was asked to clean another building. The owner mentioned that she planned to turn the building into a restaurant and casually asked if she knew anyone who might want to open one.

Without even thinking, my mom said, “I’ll do it!”

And the funny thing is, she didn’t even know why she said it. She had never owned a restaurant in her life, and the moment the words left her mouth, she was probably thinking, What in the world did I just say? But she quickly realized that maybe it wasn’t just an impulsive answer. It was something God had placed on her heart.

She didn’t have everything figured out. She didn’t know how she was going to make it happen. She simply said yes; and then she trusted God to provide the rest.

One of the biggest hurdles was a $60,000 range hood she needed for the kitchen. So, my mom went outside and prayed, “Lord, if You want me to have this restaurant, You’ve got to give me the range.”

The very next day, the owner came to her with news: because the building was historical, the museum had received a grant that would cover the cost of the range hood.

God had already made a way.

And He kept providing.

At the time, the coal mines were booming, so my mom started selling hot dogs and chips to the coal miners. Before long, she was receiving hundreds of orders. With the money she made, she was able to purchase the tables, chairs, dishes, sink, and stove; and she did it all without owing a dime.

What started with one unexpected “I’ll do it” became The Daily Bread Diner in Tazewell, Virginia.

And thirteen years later, I’m carrying a little piece of that story into something of my own.

The Daily Bread is a branch of my mom’s original restaurant. My name and logo are inspired by what she originally created, but this time with a little bit of my own personality woven into it and I’m incredibly proud of what it represents.

Every part of The Daily Bread reminds me of where I come from, who inspired me, and most importantly, Who made a way for us.

I truly believe Jesus placed this dream in my heart just as He placed that restaurant dream in my mom’s heart all those years ago. Her story reminds me that sometimes God asks you to say yes before you can see the whole path ahead. You don’t have to know how it will happen. You just have to be willing to take the first step and trust Him to provide the rest.

My mom said, “I’ll do it,” without knowing why. God knew.

And now, all these years later, I find myself saying yes to a dream I carried in my heart for as long as I can remember.

So, The Daily Bread isn’t just my little baking business. It’s a tribute to my mom. It’s a continuation of something she started. It’s a piece of our family’s story.

Her “I’ll do it” became her reality.

My childhood bakery drawings became mine.

And through it all, the same God who made a way for her is making a way for me.

From her table, to mine, and now from my table to yours.

All by God’s grace.