
Change is coming to Rustica.
After nearly 11 years of non-stop baking (more on that in a moment), owner Steve Horton is selling his interest in the Minneapolis bakery to his business partner, Dogwood Coffee Co. owner Greg Hoyt.
"I'm a little fried," said Horton. "I feel like I need to step away and spend time with my kids, but I can't leave Rustica without being completely gone."
Anyone wondering about the all-consuming nature of running a top-flight bakery need only ask Horton about his longstanding 12-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week schedule and hands-on, quality-obsessed work practices.
He said that it has only been in the past two years that he's been able to take a regularly scheduled day off each week. During the past decade, Horton has found the time to leave Minnesota just once, an overnight trip to Madison, Wis.
His hard work has certainly paid off, earning Rustica an enviable customer base and a shower of accolades. In late February, Horton was one of 20 bakers across the country who were named semifinalists by the James Beard Foundation for its first-ever Outstanding Baker award (finalists will be announced March 24th). Horton is a two-time previous semifinalist in the foundation's Outstanding Pastry Chef award.
Hoyt and Horton have been pals for nearly 20 years, and Hoyt is no stranger to Rustica. In 2009, when Rustica relocated from its original south Minneapolis home to its current location, "Greg was instrumental in the move," said Horton. Dogwood grew out of the coffee bar — it was called Bull Run — that Hoyt installed in the bakery's then-new location. Dogwood now operates coffee bars in three Minneapolis locations, all stocked with Rustica baked goods, naturally.
What changes will Rustica customers encounter as a result of the sale? "Not much, because there's not much that needs to be done," said Hoyt. "I just want to be a steward of the brand. I'm just excited that Steve is going to get some rest, because he's my friend."