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I am intrigued with the banner welcoming customers to Arizmendi Bakery,

”Make Loaves Not War.”

Can you imagine if this administration concentrated less on war and more on insuring that everyone had a good loaf of bread? Hand crafted bread that used organic flour, knowing as it was kneaded that worker ownership was a given and that the workers had health, dental and 401k benefits and that their workplace was an integral component of a democratic and just society?

This way of living and working started with Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta. Arizmendiarrieta, shortened to Arizmendi, began a theological preparatory school as a twelve year old. He lost an eye in a childhood accident, but always maintained a panoramic vision. Years later, as a twenty-six year old newly ordained priest, Father Arizmendi was sent to serve a small parish thirty miles from his hometown in Mondragon, Spain.

The little town was suffering from unemployment and the devastation of the Civil War. Father Arizmendi realized that economic development could solve many of the town’s problems and a co-operative where the townspeople could become educated and empowered, was this priests dream.

His motto, “Those who opt to make history and change the course of events themselves have the advantage of those who decide to wait passively for the results of the change.”

Money was collected on street corners; he set up a school and taught the students. This endeavor eventually became Mondragon Co-operative Corporation (M.C.C.) and today, M.C.C. is Spain’s seventh largest corporation.

Father Arizmendi passed away in 1976. He is revered for his progressive vision that proved that co-operatives can be successful businesses and that they can transform and unite a community.

And on 9^th and Irving Street, Arizmendi Bakery welcomes, bakes and represents the attributes Father Arizmendi imparted: democracy, community and local hands feeding local hands.

A Public Service announcement on KALX radio can change your life. It did exactly that for San Francisco native, Lorenzo Dodaro. After graduating from UC Berkeley, with a degree in Environmental Science, he worked as a Lab Technician, but was interested in working with food.

He started at Ferrari Foods, he says, “To get my feet wet.” That’s when he heard the radio spot, and he listened. There was a community meeting in the library on Haight Street, a few orientations, a hiring process and eight people started what we now know as Arizmendi Bakery.

Seven years later, there are now nineteen Arizmendi Bakery owners. There is a six month trial period, where you are a worker, and the group evaluates your work and your ethics, and when voted in, you too, become an Arizmendi owner.

I wonder what Lorenzo believes is the concept and philosophy behind Arizmendi’s.

“There are two main ideas. Great baked goods and a workplace that’s democratically run and fair.”

Every pastry, bread and pizza is made by hand and in small batches.

Some of my favorites: the delicate touch of herbs in the focaccia, the cheese infused zampanos are great with a burger and the ginger shortbread can transform a cup of tea. The line starts to horseshoe outside the bakery, just before 11:30, as the pizza of the day comes out of the oven, hot or lightly baked. Today’s thin crust features arugula, roasted red peppers, feta, garlic oil and parsley.

The pizza menu changes seasonally and daily. “Now it’s easy, there’s eggplant, summer squash, there’s so much this time of the year. It’s tougher in the winter. During that time, we rely on spinach, mushrooms and Swiss chard.”

I’m curious, how does it all work, do people get along and what about ego’s?

“The decisions are consensus based, with a super majority vote or 75%. For the most part it works out. Sometimes, people have hard feelings, but decisions are made on what’s best for the business.”

I know there must be some challenges.

“You have to take constructive criticism. You have to give it sometimes, and receive it, even when you might be unhappy about something.”

There is a division of labor; many owners work three shifts and divide the early morning 4 a.m.-12 p.m. with an afternoon and evening shift 12-8 p.m. Different people are assigned to place the various orders: produce, dairy, dry goods. When there are maintenance problems, if possible they try to fix it themselves before arranging for outside people to make the repairs.

I want to know specifically what Lorenzo likes about this neighborhood.

“It’s vibrant. There are a lot of people, Mom and Pop shops and lots of two or three story apartment buildings. The N Judah is a great asset, it’s not directly polluting and the park is right here.”

What is an Arizmendi customer like?”

“They love handcrafted baked goods. They like the type of business we run. They sense the mood. It comes across that we like working here.”

As a little boy growing up in North Beach, Lorenzo’s father worked on the docks hauling produce and coffee off the incoming ships. Sometimes, he’d give his son a special treat. “We’d go to a Swedish Bakery on Powell. We’d have marzipan triangles with chocolate outside and green topping like a princess cake.”

If he wasn’t one of the owners of Arizmendi, I question what else might he do.

“I don’t know. I like this work. There’s a lot of social interaction and it’s not monotonous. I’m kind of lucky.”

Lorenzo also lets me know that there is always something to learn and that the work of an Arizmendi Artisan Baker pays well. They receive an hourly wage and at the end of the year the profits are distributed among them.

We’re fortunate to have Lorenzo and Arizmendi Bakery, a democratically owned and operated workplace in our neighborhood.

NEXT WEEK: LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO ROBYN THE FLORIST.