The tiny, early-to-rise Panhandle town of Slaton runs on the fresh-brewed coffee and just-baked breakfast pastries from the historic Slaton Bakery. Employees arrive before dawn to whip up assorted doughnuts, kolaches, muffins, and more by 6 a.m., when doors open. “Our town’s pretty blue collar, so a lot of them are getting started early,” says Chad Wilson, who owns the bakery with his parents, Sherrell and Robin Wilson.
First come the farmers, then the hungry schoolkids and their parents, followed by regulars who enjoy sandwiches on house-made bread in the bakery’s small dining room. From sunrise to 6 p.m., the bakery bustles with locals and tourists—Chad has
