Jon Przybyl
Proof started as an artistic expression of local chef Jared Allen who pioneered sourdough baking in the humblest of ways through hand mixing, artistry, and the original example of perseverance working within impossible old-world standards, completely devoid of air conditioning, fancy equipment, and systems customary in more streamlined bakery operations. Jon Przybyl and Amanda Abou-Eid, the current owners of Proof, were originally loyal customers during Allen's time and were far from alone; many of Proof's long-time customers have been supporting the bakery for nearly a decade.
In 2017 Jon Przybyl and Amanda Abou-Eid took over the business after Jared somewhat suddenly decided to move out of state with his family. With the help of Jon's parents and new aspiring bakers, the garage operation transformed from a ragtag, makeshift micro-bakery into an 1,800-square-foot cottage powerhouse with innumerable optimizations and equipment that distinguished it from previous years. In 2020 Proof started a YouTube channel which now has over 210,000 subscribers around the world and has to date inspired over 500 new micro-bakeries to form.
Jon and Amanda overcame long odds when the city began to force the couple out of their garage operation in late 2020 and managed to build out their first brick and mortar location in Downtown Mesa which opened in late 2021.
Proof has grown even more in the last few years. It has now grown to be over 50 times the size that it was in 2017 when Jon and Amanda took over. Today the brand has 3 brick and mortar locations and is opening 2 new stores this year. As Proof has scaled so has the team’s commitment to their craft. In 2023 Proof became the 3rd stone flour mill in the state of Arizona and now mills a large percentage of its own flour, primarily heritage grains some of which are grown locally in Queen Creek in conjunction with local farms.
Jon’s story is one of a passionate baker in line with 13,000 years of human history, avoiding artificial processes and unnecessary ingredients, while honoring tradition and serving better bread for our community.