A toast to butter days: St. George couple celebrates one year in the bread business

Written by Jessi Bang
November 5, 2022

ST. GEORGE —When a writer and a professional sculptor came together in matrimony, they didn’t know business ownership would end up being their bread and butter.

Great Harvest Bread Co owners Sarah and Jeff John take a photo together, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sarah John, St. George News
Great Harvest Bread Co-owners Sarah and Jeff John take a photo together, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sarah John, St. George News

“We’re just two artists that decided to become business owners,” Sarah John, co-owner of the two  Great Harvest Bread Company locations in St. George said.

With a desire to be closer to family, John said she and her husband Jeff searched for available franchise options. When they discovered the two Great Harvest locations for sale, they took the leap, which meant picking up their life in Michigan and moving to St. George with their seven children.

“We’re sort of foodies and would grind our own wheat to make our own bread at home, so it was the perfect fit,” John said about Great Harvest.

Great Harvest Bread Company is a “Freedom Franchise,” which means franchise owners are free to create their own recipes and designs alongside the standard Great Harvest menu. The couple tests out new recipes constantly and as has already created signature items of their own such as lemon bars.

A commissioned statue by Jeff John is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jeff John via Pinterest, St. George News
A commissioned statue by Jeff John is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jeff John via Pinterest, St. George News

But bread isn’t the only thing they’ve got cooking.

The couple is each an artist in their own right, and Jeff John said his talents all began when he took an elective stone carving class in college. Following his passion for art, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sculpting and began selling his bronze and sculpture art at local galleries in Colorado.

When the couple started their family, John went back to school for animation and added a bachelor’s degree in modeling to his resume. With both degrees, he went on to work at General Motors, where he sculpted new car designs out of clay and scanned them into the computer. 

With sculptures and bronze art primarily consisting of childhood scenes and animals, he’s also commissioned many pieces, such as a life-size bloodhound for the National Bloodhound Association.

Sarah John wins five Beginning of Book Awards at the 2022 American Night Writer’s Association conference, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sarah John via her website, St. George News
Sarah John wins five Beginning of Book Awards at the 2022 American Night Writer’s Association conference, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sarah John via her website, St. George News

Many of the retail items for sale at Great Harvest feature his engravings such as “St. George” unscripted by hand on wooden cutting boards. To see a portfolio of his work, visit Jeff John art on Pinterest.

A creative herself, Sarah John is a writer who previously worked in the Florida tourism industry. She wrote news articles, web content and ad copy until the couple started to expand her family. She then continued her career with freelance writing. Five years ago, she said her interest shifted to writing children’s novels.

“I’m an aspiring author right now, just working on my craft,” she said. “It’s mostly a passion and a hobby, but I’d love to take it further.”

With a middle-grade sci-fi novel already completed, John said she is currently working on a young adult thriller. She won a nonfiction mentorship from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, which allowed her to work with Stephanie Bearce, a nonfiction children’s author.

Jeff and Sarah John's children get to work making sandwiches, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sarah John, St. George News
Jeff and Sarah John’s children get to work making sandwiches, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sarah John, St. George News

She recently had the opportunity to pitch her book to publishers at a writing convention and has been in touch with children’s nonfiction publishers. For more information on John’s writing career and goals, visit her website.

The couple’s artistic side has been put temporarily on hold while they focus on the two store locations. Sarah John said she looks forward to streamlining Great Harvest so she can pursue her author dreams and her husband can focus on his passion for creating art.

For the holiday season, Great Harvest has brought in a wide variety of new retail items for gifting. The store features holiday aprons, specialty syrups, gourmet jams and more. Great Harvest also offers catering services for company luncheons, school sporting events and more, and includes everything from salad bowls to box sandwich lunches.

For more information on the Great Harvest Bread Company in St. George visit their website or follow @GreatHarvestSTG on Instagram. Great Harvest Bread Company is located at both 922 E. Brigham Rd. and 140 N. 400 W. in St. George.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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