Our Story
Three decades of passion, craft, and the pursuit of real bread.
Mike Paine apprenticed in European bakeries in the early 1990s, learning the long-fermentation sourdough methods that define Focaccio's today.
In 1995, he opened the first Old World Bakery in Denver, Colorado.
By renaming the bakery Focaccio's in 1997, the brand began its journey to cafés across the country.
Today, Focaccio's bakes fresh in over 1,000 cafés — still using the same long-fermentation method, still mixing, proofing, and shaping by hand.
What Makes Our Bread Real
Real bread takes time. That's why every loaf at Focaccio's begins with our signature long-fermentation process — a slow, patient method that lets natural yeast and bacteria work their magic over 24 to 48 hours.
This isn't just tradition for tradition's sake. Long fermentation develops deeper flavors, creates that distinctive open crumb structure, and makes the bread easier to digest. It's the difference between bread that tastes like something and bread that's just... bread.
Every café has its own oven, its own bakers, and its own daily rhythm. Our teams mix, shape, proof, and bake on-site — so when you walk in at 7 AM, that warm bread smell is the real thing.
No frozen dough. No par-baked shortcuts. No compromises. Just flour, water, salt, time, and hands that know what they're doing.