Popular Main Line Baker Moving Out Of Home And Into Retail Space

WAYNE, PA — After about five years of baking and selling sourdough bread loaves to Main Line residents, local businesses, and more, Wild Yeast Bakehouse's John Goncher is getting his own storefront and commercial artisanal bakery.

The Radnor resident will be moving out of his home to a 1,468-square foot space at the Eagle Village Shops in Wayne soon, and is aiming for a spring 2026 opening.

Wild Yeast Bakehouse launched out of Goncher's home in 2021 after the former corporate finance professional sought out a new path in life, with a specific goal of tapping into the food world.

He's since built up a sizable customer base via subscription service, as well as through wholesale and farmer's market offerings. At any point in time, he has about 240 subscribers signed up to get fresh bread deliveries in about a 5-square-mile region along the Main Line.

But despite getting a location upgrade from his 10-by-12 residential space, Goncher is promising to keep his breads simple, healthy, and high quality.

"I get 2,000 pounds of bread flour a week," he said. "It's hard to hide that in a house."

Goncher's boutique bakery will continue its focus on sourdough bread, which became a popular home baking project during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It will remain a sourdough spot, with offshoots of that," he said.

The key to his success is keeping his breads simple, with emphasis on grains with subtle flavors and high-quality flour. Goncher uses local grains, ancient grains, spelt, and on occasion some seeds, some dried fruits, and even sometimes butter.

Customers will find his breads are free of allergens such as nuts and sesame seeds. However, those with wheat allergies and sensitivities will want to steer clear of Goncher's loaves.

Goncher said his sourdough has been likened to breads offered in Europe, which are known for being easier on American guts due to the quality of ingredients. And he said even customers who have diabetes can enjoy his breads without their blood sugar spiking.

"It's kind of a wellness-joy business," he said of Wild Yeast Bakehouse. "People like the bread because it tastes good, it's nostalgic, and it's healthy."

At the new location, Goncher will both bake and sell his bread. He will also finally have his own staff and hopes to host bread making classes.

Another bonus of the new location is fewer regulations. While working out of his home, Goncher must adhere to regulations set by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture as a limited food establishment.

When the brick-and-mortar bakery and shop opens, he will have more leeway in working with ingredients such as dairy and eggs if he so chooses.

But fear not, fans of Wild Yeast's products will still get the loaves they know and love.

"It isn't taking me in a different direction," Goncher said of moving into a new space. "It will offer me different ways to go with the bread without changing the mission. It's an evolution of what I'm doing, an expansion."

Learn all about Wild Yeast Bakehouse online here.