Meet one of our favorite REGULARS
at Big City Bread Cafe:
PEGGY

Peggy, how long have you lived in Athens?

I moved to Athens in January of 1985 from Urbana, IL, where I was getting my doctorate. Prior to that I had lived in the Midwest—Nebraska—all my life. I grew up in a Czech community, Wilber, NE (population circa 1,300 when I lived on a farm near there; I believe it is about 1,800 now). Like my home town, I believe part of the appeal of Big City Bread Cafe is that it has a welcoming, comfortable, community feel.

Peggy was raised in Wilber, Nebraska, and she says the welcoming community she feels at Big City Bread Cafe reminds her of the friendly small town of her childhood.

What do you do here in Athens, Georgia?

I moved here to be a professor in UGA’s College of Journalism and Mass Communication. I taught advertising, but I like to fashion myself as the “social consciousness” of advertising since my primary interests are in ethics and social issues. I created the Advertising and Society course at Grady; Media Culture and Diversity at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; and an online course in Media Literacy and Social Justice. I was an affiliate faculty member of UGA’s Institute for Women’s Studies and taught Feminist Media Studies.

I recently retired after 35 years at UGA (January 1, 2021), and I’m still trying to find my way into retirement life which hasn’t been easy for me. I taught JAZZERCISE (believe it or not) for 15 years, first in NE and IL, and for the first five years after I moved to Athens, until I realized multi-tasking with my University tasks was simply too multi! I’m a “fitness” person, particularly a bike rider and walker. I love learning new things. I’m an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction books (especially since I retired), and I particularly enjoy audio books.

I’m looking into volunteering with the UGA and ACC Libraries and would like to record audio textbooks for Learning Ally (closed temporarily due to COVID). In other words, I’m still finding my “retirement” self. I will be teaching an on-line summer short session course on Media Culture and Diversity for Shan Dong University in China this summer, and generally want to stay involved in teaching in some way.

What makes Big City Bread Cafe special for you?

Because I lived in East Athens until I moved to the Bottleworks about 15 years ago, I was relatively unfamiliar with Big City Bread Cafe. But since I moved to the Bottleworks it has been “my home away from home”— literally just out my back door.

Big City Bread Cafe is special to me in so many ways.

Everyone who works there has become an instant friend—I know the servers, the cashiers, the managers, Deborah (she makes the wonderful breads, pastries, and desserts), the chefs, and even Matthew the owner.

Big City Bread Cafe says to me “this is the Athens community at its best.”

Great food; genuinely kind, authentic folks (both the staff and the customers); people having fun, celebrating birthdays, graduations, showers, rekindling old friendships and alumni now-gone but back for the game and reminiscing about their college days. Big City Bread is quite simply “comfortable.” I’ve spent hours working, writing, reading on the patio and at the back wall seat at the bar. Laptop open and plugged in. Coffee piping hot. In my own world: peaceful, comfortable, and always welcome.

BCB is a favorite with many “University people” and has been the place for breakfast when my college brought in job candidates. I know it’s a favorite of Jack Bauerle when hosting recruits to the Swimming & Diving team at UGA. I’ve met many of those recruits.

But, BCB is also a big part of the overall Athens community. I’ve met hundreds of fascinating people; travelers from all parts of the country passing through; folks engaged in life in so many ways…. business, music, art, dance, community leaders, activists, and just “folks.” I know many of the regulars and they know me. Annelies from the Museum also eats lunch at BCB every day. Joey who enjoys a cup of coffee while he reads The New York Times each morning is sometimes joined by Richard. Kevin the doctor who comes for “the usual” on his lunch break. The couple who come in every morning with Emma their puppy. Skateboarders, and cyclists. Oh, let me not forget the babies/toddlers/children that come with mom/dad/grandparents/sitters and chase the birds, study the rocks around the trees, and create works of art in chalk on the patio. And so many puppies (all dogs are puppies to me). Big. Small. Adorable. Friendly and always welcomed at the Cafe with a bowl of water and a treat from a servers’ pocket.

Finally, I owned a small restaurant for a bit in Nebraska, and I appreciate that Matthew is hands-on and committed to the Athens community. I believe that “what’s right for Athens” is always at the back of his mind. The holiday open-house is an annual tradition for vendors and shoppers in Athens and the surrounding area. BCB hosted a community reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. AND, BCB is always filled with local artwork.

Big City Bread Cafe is full of fond memories.

Its the Big City Bread spirit.

Tell us about a favorite memory at Big City Bread Cafe?

My favorite memory is when my dear friends John Kominoski and Gary Person were married on the patio. It was beautiful. After the ceremony as people were chatting, almost magically (that is, without us even realizing it), the chairs that had been set up in rows then became tables with white tablecloths and beautiful centerpieces, ready for the low-country boil and later pushed back to accommodate the DJ and dancing.

What a celebration!.

What’s your favorite time of day to visit Big City Bread Cafe?

Whenever they are open.

What’s your favorite thing on the menu?

I have friends who thrill at the wonderful combinations of flavors that the Big City Bread Cafe chefs create, but I’m a simple and picky eater— BCB is always ready to accommodate me!

I’ve had many favorites over the years. I first lived for the grilled cheese sandwiches. Then for a time it was the Ceasar Salad which I topped with two boiled eggs.

I am a breakfast person and have I’ve been so happy with the current breakfast/brunch all day menu. My usual (ask any cashier) is the two-egg plate: eggs scrambled well, potatoes (without the green stuff… that would be the herbs) and a biscuit, rounded out with a cup of coffee (or two). Did I mention there is no problem ordering precisely what you want (boiled eggs on my Ceasar salad) and what you don’t want (green stuff on my potatoes).

Now and again, the French toast pulls me in. YUMMY!

I regularly take home a baguette, and when I’m feeling I deserve it, a molasses or snickerdoodle cookie.