“I wish she could reteach me stuff, because it was just so special that she invested in us like that,” Sarah McNeal Weaver, co-owner of Dublin’s newest business and bakery Flour Riot, said about her grandma.
That love of family and baking has led to a delicious business in Blackjack Office Center located at 126 E. Blackjack. Flour Riot – a cashierless bakery is owned and operated by sister and brother duo, Sarah McNeal Weaver and Jake McNeal.
How does a cashierless bakery operate? People can stop by the store and pick from a wide range of options. They then use an iPad to check out and pay either with debit, credit or Venmo, or drop cash in a secure box while writing down what they took.
In October, Sarah visited a cashierless bakery in Coleman, going back in three times in one day just to see how it operated, and to get some sweet treats.
“I just kept thinking, I can do this. I can do this,” she said.
Unbeknownst to her, the bakery was owned by a person she went to college with who saw her on security camera and reached out to her, even offering advice for June Neal.
For those who know the family’s history, it’s probably not a surprise they decided to open a bakery.
While a lot of kids were playing house, Sarah and Jake were busy playing restaurant – making terrible food and forcing their family to eat it. If the speed at which their baked delights are leaving the newly opened bakery is any indication, their talents have improved over the years.
“My grandma spent a lot of time with me baking and teaching me the ins and outs of biscuits and rolls, yeast and rising. That always interested me and my brother,” she said.
Inside the bakery, shelf space is ‘rented’ allowing for a diverse range of products to be showcased including Sarah and Jake’s own products from June Neal.
The bakery is named after Sarah’s sons – June was the month Jax was born in and Neal is Jhett’s middle name.
Flour Riot showcases products from June Neal, Daily Bread, Albatross Sauce, Mimi’s Cakes, Bluebonnet Barn, Langley Family Farms and With Love.
From sweet treats to bread to jarred sauces and even tortillas, Flour Riot has it all and is restocked every single Friday at 10 a.m. They also get special drops throughout the week, so follow the Flour Riot Facebook page to see when periodic refills are done.
Opening the week of Thanksgiving, Flour Riot has already proven itself popular selling out the first week in a matter of only a few hours. The taste and quality of the items could be driving this since Sarah and Jake pride themselves on simple ingredients, getting organic when they can.
“I’ve been amazed at the number of people who want to get away from processed food and who truly want to get away from store-bought bread. They truly appreciate quality stuff,” Sarah said. “We are living in a time where we are more aware of what we are putting in our bodies. People are realizing the trend of convenience of the 90s isn’t working any more, however, we aren’t living in the financial times of the 90s and we are all having to work. We no longer have the time to bake, so for me it’s taking that old school skill set that I have and making it a convenience for other people.”
Currently, Flour Riot still has shelf space available for any high quality, organic bakers that are cottage law registered.
Sarah is also sharing her passion for cooking and baking every week in a video cooking class with Beneath the Surface News, at 1:30 p.m. each Wednesday. In sharing her kitchen with viewers as well as customers, Sarah hopes others can experience the joy of cooking her grandmother first inspired in her when she was a little girl.
“I want my kids and my grandkids to do that with me. I hope that one day when I’m gone they can look back and remember I taught them the skills,” she said.