Hidden Gems: Meet Bobby John Henry of Bobby John Henry Bakery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby John Henry. 

Hi Bobby, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After living most of my early life on the road as a singer/entertainer, In the ’90s found myself living at the famous Spence Manor Hotel where countless stars including Elvis, The Beatles, Sinatra, The Eagles, Dolly Parton, and many more had stayed while recording in Nashville. At 60 years old I found out I was going to be a dad. I was shocked and unprepared. At that point in my life, I needed to look for a new way to make money to support a child. By this time the Spence was no longer operating as a hotel and I owned several units including the kitchen that was once the room service kitchen. Needing inspiration, I went to the library. Searching through the stacks I came across baking. I didn’t know anything about baking at the time but I did own a kitchen with everything I would need to start baking breads. By the time Emily Hall, my daughter, was born I was operating a small wholesale delivery business to restaurants and hotels. For the first 5-7 years it was just me. Baking, Slicing, Delivering. But eventually, as I was able to find more help, we grew quickly. Now more than 20 years later we have 20 employees and over 75 restaurants, hotels, bars, caterers, and retail stores that we service daily. The press has deemed us the Baker of Music Row and the demand for our bread is high. Emily, who was the surprise that motivated starting this business, at 24 years old is now managing our busy bakery alongside her husband Ben Parks. Emily’s momma Sharon, her aunt kathy , and brother-in-law Jacob also work for the bakery making it even more of a family-run business. Now at 85 years old I’m still singing, entertaining, recording, and writing songs whenever I have the time. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was one mistake after another until it was successful. I didn’t know anything about business except that you worked hard. So, I worked hard. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a wholesale bread bakery. We specialize in mostly soft breads such as burger buns, rolls, and deli loaves. We service over 75 restaurants, bars, and hotels. The thing that we are most proud of is the feedback that we receive from our chefs and retail customers. We have been shown so much support from the community that we are quickly outgrowing our space here in the famous Spence Manor. 

If you are interested in buying our bread to enjoy at home, here are a few places where you can purchase it: 

Produce Place, Tower Deli, and Hot Poppy Go (Delivery), The Food Company. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We hope to continue growing to service more of the amazing restaurants that are opening every day in our community. We’re always searching for more bakers to join our team to help us achieve that goal. 

Contact Info:

• Email: orders@bobbyjohnhenrybakery.com
• Website: https://bobbyjohnhenrybakery.com/
• Instagram: @bjhbakery