Another change for 2020 that’s been easier to swallow than most happened in the middle of last month, when Germantown’s Philly Bread, developer and purveyor of the Philly Muffin, changed its name to Merzbacher’s. Why? According to founder Pete Merzbacher, it signifies a return to his original mission: “Bringing people together by breaking bread with open minds and open hearts.”

With the new bakery, which opened in March 2019, Merzbacher was able to open a bread shop at the factory, located at 4530 Germantown Ave., between West Apsley and West Berkley streets. He has that offers fresh bread and a starter kit for aspiring home bread bakers and has also opened up a pickup window at the facility for online and walk-up orders. Additionally, he offers a home delivery service and drives the bread truck himself.

According to Pete, there has been little to no confusion regarding the name change. “Some people are concerned that other people will struggle with the name’s pronunciation,” he wrote in an email. “But that doesn’t concern me.”

For the record, it’s pronounced Merz-bok-er.

— Karen Plourde