Same fresh bread, but one thing is different at Beaufort Bread Company

Earlier this month, the baton — or the baguette — was passed from Rick Stone, who first opened Beaufort Bread Company on Lady’s Island three years ago, to new owners Eric and Robin Staton.

But don’t worry, everything is expected to stay the same.

“Rick put such a foundation in this business and structured it and set it up for success,” Eric Staton said. “That’s one of the things that attracted us ... it had a very stable staff.”

At first, though, Eric Staton thought about opening a food truck.

“My wife wouldn’t let me,” he said, causing Robin Staton to laugh.

Months before taking over at the cafe, Eric Staton worked with Stone to learn the business and the craft of bread-making.

“I would come down and work with him two days, three days, up to four,” he said.

Though the hours and the menu won’t change, the Statons are thinking about adding a night once a month for gourmet burgers and brats in the spirit of the cafe’s popular flatbread night.

This past weekend, flatbread night was booked solid.

“We broke (Stone’s) record,” Eric Staton said.

Eric Staton worked for 35 years in the hogging industry and said the cafe would also start serving naturally raised pork instead of commodity pork.

“It has a better taste, a better flavor, a better marble to it,” he said.

The Statons said they hope to have a pastry preview tasting event around the holidays to raise money for charity and that they plan to use the cafe as a way to give back to the community.

“We just think this is a great opportunity to make a difference in the world over time,” Eric Staton said. “We want to be just a very social, active participant.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Same fresh bread, but one thing is different at Beaufort Bread Company."