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If you've noticed some new tantalizing aromas emanating from the area around Mount Vernon Road, you've probably been close to a new shop called Breadwinner.

The brainchild of husband-and-wife Geoff and Katie Melkonian and his sister, Wendy, Breadwinner started two years ago as a home-based business that produced seasonal specialty breads. The demand has been so tremendous that the team recently moved out of their Sandy Springs house and into a nearby warehouse, where they now sell loaves and slices of their flavorful temptations.

Renee Brock/special (ENLARGE)
Party at My Place pumpkin bread is one of the sweet homemade seasonal treats available at Breadwinner in Sandy Springs.
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Where: 175 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 404-843-0224 Signature items: specialty breads Prices: $15 per loaf; $2.25 per slice Reservations: No Credit cards: Yes Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday Web site: www.breadwinnerbreads.com

"We just celebrated our second anniversary on Thanksgiving," said Katie Melkonian. "It all started by accident that night when my sister-in-law saw we had an enormous number of eggs left over and said she'd make pumpkin bread with them for gifts. She was also working at Souper Jenny in Buckhead and wanted to take a few loaves there to sell them. We worked together all weekend with my little countertop mixer, a double oven and family recipes. The 10 loaves we took to the restaurant sold out in an hour."

From there, the Melkonians got serious. They sold 500 loaves before Christmas that first year. Last year, the number was closer to 5,000. And there's more than just pumpkin bread coming out of the commercial ovens they now use.

"We do seasonal breads with specific flavors, according to time of year," said Katie. "Right now, we have Better Than a Bubble Bath mocha chocolate chip; Party at My Place pumpkin; and Frankly, My Dear, I Don't Give a Cran cranberry. In January, we'll probably swap out the cranberry for something new. In the summer, we go with lemon, blueberry and peach. The only other bread we do is the Legend of Sleepy Challah that we only sell on Fridays and Saturdays while it lasts."

The look

The Breadwinner bistro and retail store was carved out of a former lawnmower repair shop. The look was created by Cinda Boomershine, a regular design expert on TBS's "Movie and a Makeover." The interior is finished with deep orange and brown floors, embossed with the Breadwinner logo. Antique accents include a display table, chandeliers, and a mirrored countertop. A huge photo of "Melkonian Fine Foods," the family's deli that opened during the 1940s in Brooklyn, greets guests.

On the shelves

The retail side of Breadwinners is stocked with two-pound loaves priced at $15 and packaged in decorative loaf pans with satin bow ties. But if you're just looking for a sweet treat, pick up a $2.25 slice of your favorite loaf. Pair it with a cup of the Breadwinner blend coffee or tea or one of the cold drinks from the case. A few bistro tables are available for those who want to linger on-site with their slices.

And since the company got its start at Souper Jenny, the cold case is also stocked with one-quart to-go servings of Jenny's soups. The selection varies by whatever Jenny is making that day. "They come in at 11 a.m. and may be chicken barley, tomato basil, turkey chili or vegetable," Katie said.

Though they've been asked about expanding, Katie says they're sticking with bread. "It's a specialty and that's what makes us unique," she said.