A Bryn Mawr sourdough baker who started with 10 subscription customers and a $5,000 investment in his home kitchen five years ago now has a 1,500-square-foot shop on Lancaster Avenue.
John Goncher, founder of Wild Yeast Bakehouse, cut the ribbon on his first brick-and-mortar bakery Saturday at Eagle Village Shops, 503 W. Lancaster Ave., Suite 1105, in Wayne. His wife, Linda Hollinshead, his son Chris Goncher, and officials from the Wayne Business Association joined him for the ceremony, according to Main Line Media News.
"Connecting with customers — both new and current — in person is a dream come true," Goncher said at the ribbon-cutting. "We are so thrilled to join the vibrant businesses in Eagle Village Shops."
Goncher described the opening as a "homecoming" to the Main Line community that supported the brand from its earliest days. He launched Wild Yeast Bakehouse from his Bryn Mawr home in April 2021 after leaving a nearly 30-year career in corporate finance, where he served as CFO of an energy company. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer in April 2024 that the accounting side of his old job "bored me to tears."
He started with $5,000 in equipment and ingredients and 10 bread-share subscribers. By November 2025, that subscriber list had grown to 240 weekly deliveries, according to a Main Line Media News report at the time. His wholesale partners include Mad Anthony Wayne Café, Rosie's Coffee in Villanova, Gryphon Coffee in Wayne and Martindale's Natural Market in Media.
The new space represents a tenfold increase in square footage over his home operation. It features an open kitchen where customers can watch Goncher work, seating for coffee and sourdough treats, and room for small-group workshops and guest speakers.
Philadelphia Magazine named Wild Yeast Bakehouse Best Sourdough Bread in its 2024 Best of Philly awards, and Main Line Today gave it the Best New Bakery honor for 2026.
Goncher said the subscription service and wholesale distribution will continue alongside the retail operation. The bakery is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
