MISSOULA - While the University of Montana's homecoming theme is 'party like it's 1995', it just so happens that Missoula's Great Harvest Bread Co. opened that year.
The bakery has been a slice of town ever since.
"I was like, you know, just this tiny baby and [my mom] was telling Sue like, 'yeah, we're thinking about starting a bakery', it's just crazy to think like now I'm running it," owner Charlie Scheel said.
Watch to learn more about Great Harvest Bread's anniversary celebration:
It's always busy in Missoula's Great Harvest.
"It feels like a real kind of like teamwork atmosphere, which I really enjoy," Scheel shared.
Everything from apple crunch rolls to Dakota bread is being baked and with the constant stream of customers rolling through, free slices are being handed out.
"Our flagship bread is the honey whole wheat. It's got all Montana-grown whole wheat flour that we mill ourselves here, and then it's just honey, water, salt, and yeast beyond that," Scheel explained.
However, it's not just the Friday before homecoming for the bakery; it's their 30th anniversary.
"So many people have just come up to me and said how much this place means to them," Scheel detailed.
To celebrate three decades, the shop brought back a family tradition.
"We're doing an Oktoberfest beer bread and this is something my dad used to do is grill brats and serve them on that Oktoberfest bread," Scheel said.
For the future, Great Harvest plans on sticking around.
"Thanks to everybody who's kept us going for 30 years and look forward to 30 more," Scheel said.
