NNBW Support Your Local Business Sweepstakes profile: Rounds Bakery

EDITOR'S NOTE: On April 7, the NNBW launched the “Support Your Local Business Sweepstakes” as a way to support local businesses in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the Sweepstakes in April, May and June, we'll be featuring each of our business partners in a special Q-and-A. Today, we profile Reno-based Rounds Bakery.

NNBW: Tell us about your business and some of the most important services you provide?

Answer: Where life tastes good, Rounds Bakery is your community bakery. We opened our doors in 2015 in Reno, with the understanding that the best moments of any day are the ones shared with friends, community and sometimes even strangers, and often around food. Food, family, friends and community are very important to us and have helped to build our culture here at Rounds Bakery. We believe that we can have a positive impact simply by how we serve people and what we give back to the community. Rounds Bakery is known for its traditional East Coast approach to creating New York-style bagels, experimenting with creative donuts and creating one-of-a-kind seasonal breads, desserts and pastries. If you're looking for a great meal, Rounds Bakery offers hand-tossed salads, made-to-order breakfast and deli sandwiches, including our famous New York-style bagels and lox. Rounds Bakery is Reno's only local provider of the delectably buttery and flaky croissant-doughnut pastry, fondly referred to in our community as the #NotACronut. Everything we do from creating fresh, house-made cream cheeses or offering the perfect cup of coffee curated by local coffee roasters is meant to provide the best experience for our guests. We hope you enjoy the few minutes or hours you spend with us at Round Bakery sipping a latte or sharing our #NotACronut with good company. To date, Rounds Bakery has donated more than $100,000 in charitable donations and 35 tons of food to those in need. They believe in a no-waste policy and giving back. The entire team at Rounds Bakery believes education and sustainable food go hand in hand.

NNBW: What are some of the key things your business does to ensure premium levels of customer service?

Answer: We are committed to community. Our staff often donates personal tips to community causes and is well trained to handle any situation. We have established Micro Markets in Tesla and work closely with all individuals to create special menu items. We are sensitive to dietary restrictions, which is why you will often find a nice selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options on the menu. Specifically in response to the COVID-19 concern, Rounds Bakery has taken extreme circumstances to ensure its guests will receive the superior products they have come to know and love while at the same time providing a healthy and safe environment for all customers as well as staff. We understand that these are uncertain times affecting families, children, seniors, and even small businesses. We have always been a community first company and will do all we can to ensure children and seniors receive a healthy meal. Our main concerns are the children and youth who rely on school lunches, and with possible school closures looming, we need to make sure everyone is taken care of. Rounds Bakery menu selections are being prepared fresh daily and packaged placed in our grab n go coolers so that you can enjoy your favorite menu items without the wait and without the added employee handling of a made to order selection. We can easily guarantee the freshness of our products since our end of day products are never wasted but delivered to the NNFB and Eddy House and other local charities on a daily basis. In addition to providing individually packaged items and items in bulk, Rounds Bakery and staff have taken the following steps to ensure freshness and quality in all its products.

NNBW: What makes Northern Nevada such a great place to own and operate a business?

Answer: The Biggest Little City in the world isn't just a slogan — it's a way of life here. Businesses here work together to create more business for each other. We grow each others' business through cooperation rather than competition. And when this happens we can better serve our community.

NNBW: As a local business owner, why do you feel it's important to give back to the community?

Answer: At Rounds Bakery, we strive to be a valuable, responsible member of our community and remain committed to using the best ingredients in all of our products, while still finding ways to support the organizations we love. Since the day we opened our doors, we have been greeted by tremendous support from the community and supporting our neighbors is a wonderful way to show our pride and support for the Biggest Little City. Rounds Bakery embraces their community promise through and through. We are a dedicated steward to the Northern Nevada area and the environment. We have several philanthropic initiatives, including a new teaching kitchen, solar panel installation and community giving campaign. We work heavily with Urban Roots, encouraging children to learn where their food comes from, through gardening and preparation in a teaching kitchen.

NNBW: What are you doing to support other local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Answer: We have been an instrumental stakeholder with the Feed Our Heroes Program, committed to feeding our ER staff and first responders. We have worked with individuals on special orders to feed our local Fire and Police, seniors, and those more vulnerable to the disease. We kicked off Rounds For Heroes delivering food to nurses, doctors and front line workers. Our team has donated large quantities of bread and food to the Volunteers of America to feed the hungry. We have spent a great deal of time even sewing masks at home to help protect our own staff and our fellow business owners.