Flavors to Savor: Great Harvest Bread Company
Fresh Beginnings Filled with Comfort
Editor’s Note: With so many good food hot spots around town where you can enjoy so many unique bites, we put Stella Fong on assignment to find the best flavors to savor. Make sure you check each issue for her pick that you won’t want to miss!
After all the holiday festivities, I seek reprieve and renewal while still wanting the nostalgia of the celebrations to linger. Stepping into Great Harvest Bread Company on Poly Drive, the first whiffs of cinnamon and baked bread comfort my senses.
On a recent visit I gratefully accepted the complimentary slice of honey wheat bread with some reservations, not wanting to be indulgent. I met friends for lunch, and I reviewed the menu but ultimately chose the Yardbird Salad.
The mixed greens and spinach-based combination features spiced, toasted walnuts and pepitas, roasted chickpeas, craisins, golden raisins, avocado and grated Parmesan cheese, all served with a side of house-made Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette and topped with chunks of grilled chicken. With each bite, there is a mix of salty and sweet, with crunch from the nuts and greens, and savoriness from the chicken.
Heather Lamont, co-owner with her husband, Bart, grew up baking and cooking. “My first job was in a bakery, so I know about working early in the morning,” she says of her 5 a.m. mornings at the IGA bakery in her hometown, Evanston, Wyoming. She relocated to Billings after her husband completed law school in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2018.
“I always loved Montana,” she says. “We would come camping here every summer, and we thought this would be a great place to raise a family.”
In the spring of 2025, Lamont saw the social media posting about the bakery's sale. She approached her husband with the idea of buying the business, believing it would bring together the years of experience they had gained. The couple had owned a construction company in town, and at the time, she worked in the human resources department at Billings Public Schools.
With three children now grown, Lamont believed it was a good time for her to pursue this endeavor. These days, her 17- and 22-year-old daughters help at the bakery while her son, who is attending Utah State University, helped out during his summer break. Her husband steps in as the “maintenance guy,” paring down the “fix-it list.”
With 15 employees, up to 200 loaves of bread can be baked daily, depending on the day and the season. The Mexicali Salad, made with mixed greens, cabbage, grilled chicken, black beans, roasted chickpeas, red onion, tomato, cilantro, avocado and tortilla strips, with a side of smoky and zesty Chipotle Ranch dressing, along with the potato chowder with bacon soup and a 3-inch slice of bread, remain crowd favorites.
As we step into the new year, Great Harvest may just be the place to find a bite of freshness mixed with lots of comfort.
