THUNDER BAY — Both Hands Wood-Fired Pizzeria & Bakery is undergoing a transformation, becoming All Hands by Rowan Tree.
As of Sept. 1 the storefront on Algoma will close, shifting focus towards creating inclusive employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities.
Although they will no longer sell hot pizza or fresh baked bread at that location, bakery operations will continue and their frozen pizzas and fresh sourdough will still be available at number of local retailers.
"We're going to scale back to rebuild — with inclusion at the heart of it," said Michelle Murdoch-Gibson, founder of the Rowan Tree Collective.
"We opened the Rowan Tree Collective in 2022 to provide day programming opportunities for adults with disabilities," Murdoch-Gibson said. "Some of our members have autism or other developmental disabilities, and they were looking for meaningful, purposeful things to do with their days."
The organization acquired Both Hands in 2023 and began offering members paid employment and hands-on experience in a supportive environment.
At first they focused on training the staff to fill the jobs at bakery, said Murdoch-Gibson, but now the focus is on reshaping the bakery to meet the strengths and needs of the employees.
"The products our employees are working on are already called All Hands products," Murdoch-Gibson said.
"The name is a nod to inclusion and diversity, reflecting our mission of offering employment to all," she said, explaining that the change highlights a renewed focus on providing meaningful work opportunities for adults with disabilities.
The new, more flexible model is designed to be an inclusive workplace, Murdoch-Gibson said, with roles tailored roles to each employee rather than forcing them to fit traditional bakery positions.
“I package pizzas and package breads,” said Noah Fortin. “We always work hard all the time packaging pizzas and packaging the breads.”
“I label bags for All Hands Pizza, I put stickers on the bags and stuff,” said employee Ella Steinhauser. “It means to do something that everybody likes and to give back to the community.”
Her work isn’t just behind the scenes, it’s visible to customers, clarified Murdoch-Gibson “Sometimes when you buy our pizzas, it might say packaged by Ella — and this is the Ella,” she said.
"The Rowan Tree Collective is a not-for-profit. There’s no profit in providing the programming we do," Murdoch-Gibson explained. "But we hope the proceeds from the bakery will help fund our programs and keep costs lower for families."
As part of the transition, the bakery will also be launching a community Sourdough Bread Subscription, allowing customers to pre-order weekly pickups (including pizzas) and continue supporting inclusive employment through their purchases. Anyone interested in subscribing can email to be added to the list.
Murdoch-Gibson said they also plan to hold pop-up pizza events from time to time — giving the community a chance to learn more about the new business model and the Rowan Tree Collective.
