Tyler and Chayanne Rooney met in an Austin kitchen and spent years working their way through the restaurant world before bread quietly took over. What started as late-night croissant experiments and a deep dive into Tartine Bread eventually became porch deliveries during COVID, long Sundays at the farmers market, and finally a brick-and-mortar bakery inside Tyler Station.

In this episode, Tyler and Cheyenne talk about why they left restaurant life, why they won’t do wholesale or pre-orders, and why staying small is part of the plan. We get into three-day croissants, 1 a.m. bake shifts, sourdough starter science, and the very real tension between growing a business and protecting its quality.

Allison Macalik, co-owner of Little Joy Coffee, joins The Hidden City to talk about the community heartbeat of Elmwood and how a local coffee shop became a neighborhood gathering place. From her roots in Garland to her years in Austin’s local business scene, Allison talks about finding that same independent spirit in Oak Cliff—and how she and her husband Russ poured it into a coffee shop built for families, neighbors, and community connection. We talk about investing in the place you live, lessons from buying a local business, and how the families, friendships, and small moments of connection continue to shape life in downtown Elmwood.