Q&A: Sarah O'Brien of Little Tart Bakeshop
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Sarah O’Brien and Members of the Little Tart Bakeshop team in front of their Grant Park location
For owner Sarah O’Brien, “Little Tart is an Ohio girl’s love letter to France.” When traveling there at 14, she was inspired to recreate their buttery, flaky croissants after her first experience eating one that didn’t come out of a tube. That eventually led her to start her pastry business in 2010, which at the time consisted of a tent and table at the now-defunct East Lake Farmers Market.
“I drove around a beat-up station wagon filled with pastries and worked out of a shared kitchen,” Sarah said. “It was a challenging setup, but people loved our rustic French-grandma treats and our focus on using local ingredients. The fact that I sold out at every market made my dream of a brick-and-mortar space seem not so wild.”
Fast forward to now, Sarah and her team run the Atlanta mainstay through three brick-and-mortar spaces. Little Tart Bakeshop’s homebase has been in Grant Park for almost 12 years, with two other locations in Inman Park and Summerhill—where you can also find their “kid sister” soft serve shop Big Softie—and a strong presence at the city’s community farmers markets. They’ve amassed a dedicated group of regulars who’ve been eating their croissants for over a decade, and even watched their regulars’ kids grow up throughout their visits.
What started as a baker in her station wagon evolved into an incredible community of employees, customers, and friends—a community that Little Tart continues to invest in beyond their normal operations, like through the Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice coalition or a Cookie Grab to benefit Planned Parenthood. We’re honored to have Little Tart Bakeshop as a part of Slow Food Atlanta’s first cohort of Snail of Approval awardees.
Here, we heard from Sarah about what Slow Food means to her, what business she admires (which also happens to be a fellow Snail of Approval awardee), and what makes Atlanta’s food community special.
Why do you support Slow Food?
I learned about Slow Food around 2005. I was living in Iowa completing my MFA, and just starting to really think about where my food comes from. I read Michael Pollan’s books and every interview I could find with Alice Waters, and they led me to Slow Food. I believe firmly in the idea of good, clean, fair food for all as an essential human right. I believe that our food systems should be geared toward these rights.
What part of Slow Food’s mission aligns with your business?
Every day our talented team works to make delicious, thoughtfully-produced pastry with seasonal ingredients, as well as great espresso. We pay attention to all the details, and work in a collaborative, respectful atmosphere, while also maintaining close relationships with our producers. We constantly monitor our work and processes to make sure our employees, producers, and customers are well-compensated and treated fairly, and we also work to create our food with the least amount of environmental impact possible by using compostable and recyclable products.
What goals do you have related to being a more good, clean, and fair business?
I want to reduce the waste that we generate at the bakery. I think we are doing a great job in terms of making good food, and we have made incredible strides in making sure our workplace practices and policies are fair. Our employees feel valued, respected, and well-compensated. Now I just wish we could use less plastic wrap! We are always trying to improve, and I dream of getting as close to zero waste as possible.
What are some businesses or organizations you admire that are practicing good, clean, and fair values?
I have always admired Miller Union in Atlanta. Steven Satterfield has a way with vegetables, and you can bet that if something is growing around Atlanta, it’ll show up deliciously on his menu. I know Miller Union built things like composting and waste reduction into their business plan from day 1. I appreciate the way they set the standard for so many farm-to-table restaurants nationwide.
What’s special about the food scene and Slow Food community in Atlanta?
The food community in Atlanta is incredibly welcoming. When I showed up here and started cold-calling farmers to see if I could get produce and eggs and milk, everyone was helpful and encouraging. I was just telling someone that folks will open doors for you in Atlanta and help you walk through them in a way I haven’t experienced anywhere else. Within my first few months of baking here, I was invited to bake for a farm benefit at Love is Love Farm. Suddenly I was on a ticket with some of Atlanta’s best chefs, at one of its most revered farms. I have never forgotten how much that validation meant to me, and how I felt like people were rooting for my little business. There is a feeling of abundance in the Atlanta food scene, like we’re in this together, and we all want each other to succeed. That’s magic.