Artisan bread baker Companion Baking will move from its current headquarters in St. Louis to a new 41,000-square-foot facility in Maryland Heights, Mo., later this year. Construction on the facility will begin in March, and the company expects to move into the new location in August.

Companion said the new facility will house the company’s baking operations, a new cafe, a baking school and private event space. The 60-seat, 2,500-square-foot cafe will serve breakfast and lunch daily, while the baking school will have classes designed for both the novice and serious home baker, the company said.

“We are excited about this next chapter for Companion,” said Josh Allen, founder and owner of Companion. “The new facility will not only be a terrific place for our staff to work but also one that provides us the means to truly respect our craft. If we can build a place our companions are proud and excited to come to work at, imagine how much better our breads and our company can be? Bread responds to the temperament of the baker — and happy bakers do make better bread.”

Founded in 1993 with a vision to create wholesome European bread with simple ingredients, Companion Baking has expanded into a multi-dimensional baking company with a growing wholesale grocery business delivering bread locally, regionally, and as far as Montana and Florida. The company’s sales are expected to hit $10 million in 2015.