Lancaster bakery back in business after two-month halt

(Harrisburg) — A midstate bread-baking company that’s been shuttered for nearly two months is back in business.

Lancaster Food Company lost a major investment around Thanksgiving and was forced to lay off its 22 employees.

Co-founder and CEO Charlie Crystle says he has spent weeks working the phones lining up about $500,000 in new investments to restart the company.

“You know it really is about setting aside the emotion, the disappointment and frustration with the situation and just focusing on the goal,” he said.

The money is coming from a mix of private investors and family foundations that want to support businesses with a social impact mission.

“I think people realize that it was a fast-growing business and that we just hit a bump, and the business model was working and the mission’s important,” Crystle said.

Lancaster Food Company is a second chance employer — hiring people with a history of incarceration.

Employees start at $15 an hour, plus benefits.

Crystle says he hopes the company will be profitable in the next three to seven months.