Dayna Evans is the owner of the newly opened Downtime Bakery. She was inspired to start making bread by her partner Sam Carmichael, who loved baking. Dayna was working as a freelance copywriter and journalist in New York City at the time – doing fashion writing for J. Crew and food writing for various publications – but she loved baking so much that she started a pop up called Permanent Bake Sale.

She later lived in Paris and apprenticed at Ten Bells, a sourdough bakery. She also trained at Machine Shop in South Philly, and briefly at Merzbacher’s in Germantown during the pandemic. She then ran a pop-up from her Mt. Airy home for two and a half years, selling breads, bagels and pastries to a growing following of neighbors.

It was the fact that “People in Mt. Airy support things in Mt. Airy” that encouraged her to look for a brick and mortar location to house her business. A CDC staff member reached out to let her know about the available Mt. Airy CDC-owned building at 6624 Germantown Ave.

The 6624 space felt big to Dayna, but she and Sam realized it would give them room to grow and would offer space for cafe seating to create more of a community atmosphere. Neighboring businesses encouraged her to take the leap. She liked that the area felt very walkable and there were lots of active businesses – new and old – on the block. 

Supported by Mt. Airy CDC as well as family and friends, Dayna and Sam pursued a year-long renovation process to install a commercial kitchen in the space. They also had funding support from local organization The Circle of Aunts and Uncles. 

The name “Downtime” comes from the baking Dayna used to do in her downtime – and now it’s a space for others enjoying their own downtime. She says it has always felt as though the business is not just about her but a real community effort. Her best friend made a huge piece of art for the space, a carpenter friend made the bakery display and furniture, and her mom made the ceramic bowls, dishes and mugs. She says, “It’s everyone’s bakery.” Her hope is that all who step in the doors will feel comfortable and welcomed in the space.

Dayna says working with the CDC has been extremely positive for her business. She had some reservations about opening a brick and mortar but says the process would feel a lot harder without the CDC:

“I really feel that the organization supports the growth of small businesses, and that they want us to succeed.” – Dayna Evans, Downtime Bakery

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