3rd Street Market baker shares secrets with food entrepreneur

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Third Street Market

What: Soup and sourdough bread cafe with local produce, wine and beer market

Company establishment: Opened in October 2022

Number of employees: 7

Founders: Trent and Dena Shuskan

address: 425 W. Third Street, Fort Worth

The Fort Worth Report spoke with Trent Shaskan about the business. This interview has been edited for content, grammar, and clarity.

Seth Bodin: How did Third Street Market come about?

Trent Chaskan: My wife, Dena Shaskan, was the chef at The Modern for 12-15 years. She then acquired a Southlake catering company in 2015 and has lived here in Fort Worth. But that led me to do the bread. I’m from San Francisco. It’s time to learn sourdough and bring back the taste of childhood. And that coincided with the opening of the Clearfork Farmers Market, which has done Clearfork for 10 years. And within that time frame, The Table, a small vendor-driven local Texas grocery store, also opened.

And one thing led to another. Some Sundance official Sasha Bass said, “Hey, I have a space for you. Come see.” And the rest is history. Take a look at this space, it’s an old bar space that turned a liquor bar into a bread bar. Large space of 8,000 square feet, lots of light.

We also have a teaching space with our partners at The Table … offering classes and afternoon tea. This is a very organic process. Consistency is everything, it just shows up. Woody Allen line. 9/10 of success is just showing up. We have been visiting Farmer’s Market for many years now and it is a great opportunity to meet people and try products.

body: Selling bread?

Chaskan: yes. Start in front of Stir Crazy on Magnolia Street. At that time, I was happy to sell 15 of them. But it really exploded and blossomed.

body: How did you learn to make bread and find your own original recipe?

Chaskan: The best answer is something like in the movie “Ratatouille” where he tasted something when he was a kid and gave in to him like that or rushed in… And also by chance. So I followed that recipe and started chasing the flavors I grew up with. It’s been two years of struggle and emotional turmoil. It’s hard, so it’s hard to grasp.

body: What’s new in this location?

Chaskan: I think new is old. I’m still sitting here at the counter, at the table talking to people about bread. But you can eat sandwiches and watch the bread being made.

body: So how did you find your initial funding when you started?

Chaskan: We said we have a catering company, which I think is also a great thing for small businesses to think about. There was also catering. We were doing extensive catering throughout the Metroplex. My wife was a famous chef, so we had a lot of contracts like that and it allowed me to get in a bit. I think you’re having a hard time finding a kitchen in your home. Very difficult.

body: Do you have any tips for future food entrepreneurs?

Chaskan: Married to a chef. That’s not a hint, it’s silly, isn’t it? It’s impossible. But I think there is something important there. It’s a partnership. Enter the kitchen.

Be consistent, go to farmers markets, get to know people, and be there. I think the vendors have great ideas and great products, but they’re not making as much money as they’d like upfront, so it’s kind of disappointing. So they either quit or are only part-time. And it is impossible. Even if only 20 were sold. The point is, people know you are there. They will be there every weekend. The moment you’re not there, they come, they realize you’re not there, and after a few times they stop coming.

Seth Bodine is a business and economic development reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at seth.bodine@fortworthreport.org and follow him on Twitter: @sbodine120.

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