* What: Artisan breads
* Company: Niedlov's Breadworks
* Address: 215 E. Main St.
* Website: www.niedlovs.com
Telephone: 756-0303.
* Owners: John and Angela Sweet
* What's special: Niedlov's breadmaking process is akin to that of traditional European bakeries. Mr. Sweet said his breads are naturally leavened and 100 percent whole grain, which gives them a thicker, chewier crust.
* The origin story: As a high school exchange student in Germany, Mr. Sweet said he appreciated the difference in the quality of the locally produced bread. In 1998, he spent a summer in college in Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he said he became enamored with breadmaking.
* How long does it take to make: From 15 hours (French baguettes) to 20 hours (Chattanooga Sourdough)
* Where it's sold: Greenlife Grocery (301 Manufacturer's Road), Earth Fare (1814 Gunbarrel Road), Pruetts (1210 Taft Highway, Signal Mountain) and the Wednesday farmers market on Main Street (197 W. Main St.).
* How long have they been making them: Nieldlov's opened October 2002.
* Future expansions: For 18 months, Mr. Sweet said he has been planning expansions of his retail presence with satellite locations. Eventually, he said he would like to open other bakeries in the region.
* Lessons of the trade: "Business is much more emotionally challenging than I would ever have known before going into it," Mr. Sweet said. "If it weren't for the people I've had around me throughout the years supporting me ... in a million different ways, this never would have happened. Our business is the product of a village, in some sense."
- Compiled by staff writer Casey Phillips, cphillips@timesfreepress.com