Most companies get better with time. They learn to become more efficient and find better ways of doing things

For nearly 10 years, Atlanta Bread Company's formula of great variety and customer service seems to be working. Atlanta Bread has grown to nearly 140 locations in 24 states with 60 more locations scheduled to open by year's end, and recently, we were named one of the top 50 "Taste-Makers" by Nation's Restaurant News.

While these accolades and accomplishments are impressive, we haven't taken it as a sign that our work is done. In keeping with our commitment to the customer and to providing the highest-quality dining experience, we feel there is always room for improvement. Guests already know they can walk into any Atlanta Bread Company and find freshly baked, European-style breads, delicious soups and salads, and made-to-order sandwiches served by friendly staff in a clean, relaxed environment.

These are the differences you can see. But there many things Atlanta Bread Company does every day behind- the-scenes to ensure the same high quality standards.

One such improvement we made recently is adding the manufacturer's patented Ice Wand technology. The Ice Wand allows us to go far beyond the standard food service sanitation requirements to create an even safer, cleaner, beverage preparation area with better tasting ice cubes.

We made the decisions to install the product in all of our restaurants after careful review of extensive technical and field trial data generated by the manufacturer's scientists. We also conducted field trials in several Atlanta Bread locations prior to company-wide implementation of the technology.

In the past, we had to spend three to five hours cleaning each machine every two months. Since installing the Ice Wand, our need to manually clean the machine has been completely eradicated. We expect now that only minimal maintenance one to two times a year will be necessary as opposed to more frequent extensive maintenance, which will save us significant time and money.

What this means for our customer is cleaner, fresher ice and enhanced beverage quality. We firmly believe in the quality of the manufacturer's products and the strength of the company's technology platform. We have already noticed the difference.

Jerry Couvaras
President and CEO
Atlanta Bread Company