Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Kibler.
Hi Shelby, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My wife Julie and I opened Field & Fire in the Downtown Market when it opened in Fall 2013. We intended to be a wood-fired bakery specializing in crusty European style sourdough breads and croissants. Our passion is health, which includes the health of the soil used to grow our raw ingredients, so we tend to support Organic farmers in everything we do, and also look to connect with local farms to support our local food system. That is where the “Field” in our name comes from. No matter what we do, it starts in some farmer’s field. The “Fire”, of course is what completes the circle and transforms our doughs into bread, which is first and foremost FOOD. We want our food to nourish and sustain the people who come and support us by purchasing our products.
The first couple of years were successful enough that we were approached about doing a Cafe on North Monroe Ave and decided to take a look at the opportunity. We felt pretty good about it and went ahead and signed a lease and built out Field & Fire Cafe, which opened in 2016 (Fall) in the ground floor of 820 Monroe Ave NW. With the addition of the Cafe, we were able to invite people into our space to eat with us and we added coffee beverages, toasts, and breakfast and lunch foods. So our Bakery is now 12 years old and our Cafe is 9.
Our bakery just moved its production space out of the Downtown Market into a larger baking space in an industrial warehouse; we completed this move in August of 2025. We were working in cramped quarters and needed additional space, and this move gives us the ability to grow and stretch as bakers. We are so excited to have finally finished building out our big space! Our new production facility, which we are calling Field & Fire Bakehouse, is located at 2055 Oak Industrial Dr. We do have a new retail store on site so customers can come to our baking facility and purchase it directly from there.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say it has decidedly not been a smooth road. The bumps in the road have been mostly associated with profitability and financial performance. We have survived for more than a decade, which is a win! But there have been many moments when we recognized that we were in dire straights financially and so we have had to tighten up and get scrappy many times to weather those periods. Being passionate about Organic and Local means our raw materials are expensive, and this combined with our blue-collar upbringings has caused us many times to recognzie that we are not charging enough for our products. It feels tough when you keep on having to raise your prices (to stay in business) even though you want everyone to be able to enjoy the products of your labor.
Besides the financial crises we have had (pretty much yearly in one or the other of our businesses), and Covid, the other struggles are related to staffing. We have an AMAZING crew and are so fortunate to have such a gathering of talented and passionate individuals working with us! But since Covid we have had a very hard time filling our rosters, and the Big Quit has meant we had to increase pay to stay competitive and this has not made it any easier to face the financial hurdles. Seems like we are ALWAYS hiring, which gets to feeling like being on a hampster wheel. Because we love our staff so much, we want them to have a full staff, and when we are short-staffed it really grinds on us all.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Field & Fire?
We are known for our REAL BREAD and our AMAZING CROISSANTS. We make what i feel is the best bread available in Michigan. By no means do we hit the nail on the head every day, but our products are full of flavor, and deliver. We have an in-house stone mill which we use to mill all of our own whole-grain flours, which are made from locally grown organic whole wheat berries, whole rye berries, and whole spelt berries. This means our flours are super fragrant, flavorful, and fresh. When we put those fresh-milled flours into our breads, they deliver a pretty special experience. Our process includes long, slow fermentation generally, which adds character and also makes a product which is easier to digest and produces more absorbable nutrients. OUR BREAD IS FOOD! Really! And then there are our pastries, which are world class! I don’t like to sound like i’m bragging, but i do hear quite often that people hold our pastries in the highest regard, and customers relate to us that our croissants hold up in a comparison to Parisian croissants. I love to hear that! i also love it when a person from Eastern Europe tells me that the bread reminds them of home.
Another thing that i hope we are know for is our service. We try to deliver a great experience to our customers, and although i’m sure we miss the bar sometimes i hope it can be said that we provide more than just a great product, but also work hard to engage our customers in a way that will make their days better.
One of the things that i am most proud of is the diversity of our staff, especially surrounding the LGBTQ+ spectrum. We are a welcoming group, and to see how many of our staff members are Queer makes me feel like we are doing something right. We embrace HUMANS, and it is super meaningful to me to lead a business where people feel seen, valued, and respected.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am SO into Astrophysics! i did not study science in college, but for the past 5 years or so i can’t seem to get enough info related to astronomy and gravity and the physics of our universe. Baking is very scientific, so we are constantly dealing with Chemistry and Physics, but when i learn about the physics involved in our universe i am so awed and interested. Physicists tell us that we can only see and observe about 4% or 5% of the matter that exists in the universe, can you believe that? WTF? I am so enthralled to hear all the advances of the last 100 years or so in regards to our knowledge and theories surrounding the universe we inhabit. My mind is blown away by what these humans have figured out. As far as i’m concerned, they are the coolest cats out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fieldandfire.com
