Chris Katris, owner of seven Lincoln Square Restaurants, now buys all his bread from The Bakery at Geist’s Ron Woods. This story is the first of a series highlighting local businesses that decided to do business locally.

Too often, our competitive nature can tug on our emotions—especially in the business world where professionals are looking out for themselves. How often do we see a company reaching out to help another? Maybe this is why, then, it’s so satisfying when we witness a local business owner caring enough to support a fellow neighbor.

“I was worried about my business,” says Ron Woods, owner of The Bakery at Geist. Last fall, this relatively new establishment got hit with some bad luck as well as a car which came passing through the Bakery’s neighbor, Edward Jones. The car damaged two walls of the Bakery which required some restoration. Since many residents were gone for Fall Break when this accident occurred, Ron feared that many returning clients would think he had closed the doors due to the unsightly garbage dumpster out in the front parking lot and doors being locked.

Ron recalls, “I was forced to shut down for one month, but it’s amazing how so many local businesses helped me out. They put up signs explaining the situation.”

Recently, another local business, Lincoln Square Pancake House, decided to buy freshly baked breads from The Bakery at Geist to serve within its restaurant. Both businesses are only a few doors down from each other in the Geist Station Shopping Center.

“We’re just trying to take care of our neighbors,” says Chris Katris, owner of Lincoln Square Restaurants. Chris already owns seven restaurants here in Indiana, soon to be opening an eighth. All of his establishments are built within residential communities in order to capture a neighborhood feel.

Chris admits, “I like Ron as a person and I like the quality of his bread. I decided that instead of paying money to get my bread from Chicago, I would rather help someone locally in our neighborhood.” Chris plans to eventually incorporate these fine breads into all his other locations.

Positive Effect with Teaming Up

So far, the customers at Lincoln Square have responded well to the new bread, which is natural with no preservatives. Chris admits, “It’s a benefit to us to use these wholesome products. I know my customers would rather have all natural bread instead of processed.” Keeping up with his philosophy of “looking out for his neighbor,” Chris will soon be using bacon and sausage (from Indiana) and is switching to Red Gold Tomatoes (located in Indiana).

Chris proudly asserts, “We at Lincoln Square wish to maintain our tradition of giving back to the community by supporting schools, fundraisers (i.e. Jeffrey Cory Jr. College Fund), and helping Hoosiers whenever we can.”

The Bakery at Geist is busy not only serving the finest of pastries but also preparing breads for Lincoln Square. Ron says, “I consider Chris a friend. We’re taking care of him and he’s taking care of us. We work together as a team.”

The Bakery at Geist has expanded by adding a fully functional delicatessen including high-quality natural meats, cheeses, deli salads, yogurt parfaits, and yes, of course — freshly baked breads!

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