Hanford Insider: How A Historic Bakery Shaped A Town And Sparked A New Chapter In Community Business

Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode!A bakery that once fed a town now feeds a different kind of hunger: connection, service, and shared memory. We follow Maccagno’s from a 1949 brick landmark with 20‑foot ovens and loading docks to a living hub for local business, events, and civic pride.We start with Hanford’s roots—six bakeries in the 1920s, immigrant craft shaping taste, and bread as a public good—and trace the Maccagno’s expansion from 200 loaves a day to more than 4,500. Economic shifts and new shopping habits eventually dimmed the neighborhood bakery model, but the stories lingered: a rumored rum cake recipe made by feel, friendly faces behind the counter, and a building that held a Cold War secret in its 12‑inch concrete basement walls. When Jeanette Sasser stepped in to acquire and restore the space, she found ovens, racks, and even fallout rations, then transformed the site into a creative engine for JH Tackett Marketing.Jeanette and new owner Amory Marple open up about preserving artifacts, curating photos, and treating the building as a public trust. When the pandemic upended daily life, the team kept printers running late, supplying restaurants, hospitals, and schools with clear signage and launching print‑pack‑ship programs to honor graduates and frontline staff. Their story shows how local businesses can evolve without abandoning their mission to serve. We also preview Maccagno’s role in the Carnegie Museum’s Hanford walking tour and a countywide exhibit celebrating the architecture, industries, and people that shaped Kings County.If you care about local history, small business resilience, and the power of place, you’ll find plenty to savor here—no oven mitts required. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves hometown stories, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors discover the show.You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsiderThank you for supporting the show!