Wildflower Bread Company, known for serving award-winning breakfast, lunch, and dinner, announced a milestone 20th year anniversary as it begins celebrations in its 14 locations throughout Arizona.

In honor of the anniversary, Wildflower will offer daily deals and a cruiser bikes giveaway for its customers November 1—7 (excluding airport locations). Throughout the week and on select days, customers can add a cookie, drink, or cup of soup for just 20 cents with an entrée purchase. On Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, customers will receive a free tumbler with any $20 purchase.

“I want to thank our loyal fans, talented Breadheads and passionate partners for making the past 20 years so memorable. It’s been an incredible journey,” says Louis Basile, founder of Wildflower Bread Company. “We started with a simple idea of serving great food in a welcoming environment with the desire to make a difference in our communities. We will continue to work tirelessly to make a positive impact in all we do.”

On November 1, 1996, Louis and Tracy Basile founded the Wildflower Bread Company and opened the first location in Scottsdale, Arizona. From the very start, they aspired to build a reputation as more than just a specialty bakery and sandwich shop. In order to become a uniquely successful neighborhood restaurant, Wildflower has always focused on its “three pillars of excellence”— great food, outstanding service and everyday affordability.

Twenty years later, Wildflower continues to flourish while standing on the same three pillars of excellence.

Wildflower remains a family-owned business with a growing customer base and positive comp same-store sales year over year. With 14 locations throughout Greater Phoenix and Northern Arizona, and plans to grow, the company’s momentum is not slowing down.

Rather than resting on its laurels, Wildflower continues innovating from the inside out. Its menu is constantly evolving with seasonal dishes and rotating breads and pies each month.

Over the years, Wildflower has added food-forward menu items to its breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. Seasonal items included a spicy chipotle egg sandwich, turkey cranberry walnut stuffing sandwich, French toast three ways, chopped salad, breakfast bowls and a buffalo chicken sandwich, just to name a few. Each recipe features a complex combination of fresh ingredients.

“With effective training, passionate Breadheads and localized purchasing, Wildflower is able to offer unexpected items that set us apart from our competitors,” Basile says.

At the center of the Wildflower’s culinary initiatives are its hand-shaped artisan breads. Each loaf is shaped at Wildflower’s Central Commissary located in Scottsdale, and baked daily at each restaurant in the early hours of the morning.

Making artisan bread the Wildflower way is a four-day process, including mixing, shaping and baking. Wildflower allows each loaf to rise slowly, taking 16 to 24 hours, just prior to baking. All of the breads are made naturally without any additives or preservatives.

“When it comes to bread-making, our commitment is not simply to excellence, but also to the preservation of a true art form,” Basile says. “Our award-winning recipes attest to the fact that we take pride in every loaf of bread we make. It is a time-honored process we treasure, and one we hope our customers think is well worth it.”

What has remained unchanged in Wildflower’s 20-year history is its support of communities where employees (known as Breadheads) live and work. Most notably, since 1996, Wildflower has provided gift cards, food and in- kind donations to more than 1,700 organizations. From high school Key Clubs and parent teacher organizations to food banks and animal shelters, Wildflower helps those who “knead” it most.

The restaurants also allow local non-profits to host fundraisers and receive 15 percent of the event-related sales. More than 330 fundraisers have taken place at Wildflower over the past decade to benefit local schools, churches, sports teams, charities, police departments, shelters, and more.

Ultimately, Wildflower is in the business of nourishing people. To help feed the hungry in its own communities, Wildflower donates unsold baked goods to local shelters and hunger relief agencies throughout Arizona each night.

Since 2003, Wildflower has donated more than $4 million in unsold bread and baked goods to food banks throughout Arizona.

Perhaps the most exciting example of Wildflower’s community giving is its annual Wildflower Cares campaign during  which the company raises funds and awareness for hunger relief. In 2015 and 2016, Wildflower and its customers provided 942,350 meals to feed hungry children through Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

"Wildflower Bread Company’s growth and development over the last 20 years are attributed to our passion for bringing the best food, bread and culture to our restaurants," says Basile. "We are focused on delighting each customer with a genuine dining experience with fresh food in a comfortable setting welcomed by people who treat you like family."