It doesn't take much to taste the heart and soul of the Novakovics in their
breads. The Novakovic's began their journey by traveling from their
home in Belgrade, Serbia. They moved to Boston, MA in the early 1990s
to Boston where they gained more experience in the ins-and-outs of the baking
business while managing a local bakery. But warmer weather was more appealing to
them. So they started on their journey to Florida.

Drawing from both the knowledge of past generations of Serbian bakers and their work experience in the United States, Vlado and Sladjana Novakovic began the planning
stages to open their own business. After considering sunny Florida as the prime location
for their new venture, the family decided Charlotte was the place to be. On the way
there, they stopped briefly to visit a friend and she recommended that they stay in Charlotte, NC because of the lack of good bakeries and the fast growing city. The Novakovics decided to stay.

In October 1996 they hung their tiny sign and opened their bakery on Iverson
way. At first the Novakovics were only planning to do wholesale but the
neighbors persuaded them to open up a small retail store in the front of
their building. Regulars started to form and soon enough, they needed
more space so they then moved to a 1511 Central Ave. 6000 sq.
foot location, and it too started to look like home.

They started expanding and soon the breads were in your favorite
restaurants and grocery stores. The Novakovic family always believed
that every bread is at its best the day it was been baked. European fresh
breads mean a lot to this family and natural and organic ingredients make
special bread. The simple breads made only of flour and water is not easy
to make well. As all other basic products, for example, wine, which is
simply fermented grape juice and cheese which is simply curdled milk,
bread making is at once both extremely precise and imprecise.

After nine years in the baking business, Nova's has found its niche in
both the community and Charlottean's hearts. The Novakovics have set
down roots in Charlotte, making their dream a successful reality. A great
contribution to the city's local color, the bakery has a bright and tasty future
ahead.

The Novakovics bake their bread every day, so that you can decide how long you will be keeping it.