Even after more than a century in business, Fresno’s Valley Lahvosh Baking Company is still finding new ways to delight customers – this year with pumpkin-shaped crackers perfect for autumn.
“We now have a shape for every season,” said Agnes Saghatelian, president and owner.
The bakery’s best-selling hearts are a year-round favorite, especially at Valentine’s Day. Stars sparkle in the summer and for Fourth of July gatherings, Christmas trees add cheer in winter, and pumpkins now bring a playful touch to fall tables.
Saghatelian said the variety of shapes appeals to major retailers that like to rotate displays for seasonal promotions.
Once strictly a local treasure, today Valley Lahvosh Baking Company ships about 95% of its products beyond Fresno to stores across the nation including Albertsons, Safeway, Save Mart, Sprouts, and Hy-Vee.
As demand for its products grew, so did the bakery.
“We started out as a corner bakery. Now it’s an entire block length,” Saghatelian said.
The business was founded in 1922 by her grandfather Gazair Saghatelian, who had been a master baker in his native Armenia. Though more than 100 years have passed since Gazair started the bakery, its crackerbread still stands out today, Agnes said.
“The lahvosh, the type of crackerbread that we make, is pretty unique,” she said. “There’s different types of lahvosh. Some of it is soft and pliable. Ours is the crisp crackerbread. So that’s really what sets us apart – the type of product it is and the unique shapes and sizes.”
Though the store remains in its original historic location, the surrounding neighborhood has transformed over the decades.
“When it first began, we were in the heart of Armenian Town,” Agnes Saghatelian said. “It was a neighborhood with lots of homes, stores, and a lot of foot traffic, with the bakery and the church. People would go to church then they would walk across the street to get their fresh peda and go home and have family dinner.”
While Saghatelian is the third generation to run the bakery, community members still remember its earlier days fondly.
“A lot of people will come in and share stories about how they used to come in with their parents or their grandparents, and so it’s really, really nice to hear those stories,” she said. “People seem very happy and grateful that we’re still here and we’re still open. They come in and they buy the bread and it kind of takes them back down memory lane.”
Shoppers can still make lasting memories at the landmark bakery — and now, they can take the season home with pumpkin crackers. Other cracker shapes, crackerbread rounds, and traditional peda bread are also available. The shop at 502 M Street is open Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more updates on Fresno County development and business initiatives, stay connected with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
