Little T American Baker

Little T American Baker is a bakery in Portland, Oregon, associated with breads, pastries, cookies, and other baked goods made in a style that combines traditional forms with creative variations. The business has been described as using ingredients purchased from local vendors and growers, placing it within Portland’s broader independent-food and craft-baking culture. The bakery’s menu has included familiar European-influenced products such as baguettes and croissants, as well as chocolate chip cookies, tarts, and a signature-style “slab bread.” The slab bread is a focaccia-like flatbread finished with olive oil and sea salt. These offerings reflect a product mix spanning everyday bread, laminated pastries, sweets, and savory bakery items rather than a narrowly specialized line. Tim Healea is identified as the bakery’s owner. In 2009, Lee Posey of Nel Centro became the baker of Little T, linking the business to an experienced Portland restaurant-baking background. The bakery later pursued physical expansion: in 2013, Healea announced plans for a second, approximately 400-square-foot location in Union Way in Portland’s West End. The site, referred to as Little T Baker and commonly nicknamed Little T, opened in October of that year. Little T received recognition in several food-media and industry contexts. The Daily Meal placed it at number 32 in its 2013 ranking of America’s 50 Best Bakeries. In 2015, Healea was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Baker award. That same year, Business Insider selected Little T to represent Oregon in a list of the best bakery in each U.S. state. Later Portland food guides continued to mention the bakery, including Eater Portland coverage of flaky and crackly croissants and its broader bakery recommendations in 2021, as well as a 2025 overview of Portland’s best bakeries. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about the company’s legal structure, founding date, ownership beyond Healea, financial performance, current locations, distribution, and present operating status. It is best characterized as a local independent bakery brand rather than a large packaged-food manufacturer or national chain.

Little T American Baker is a Portland, Oregon bakery whose publicly documented identity is centered on handmade breads and pastries. Its menu has included baguettes, croissants, tarts, chocolate chip cookies, and a focaccia-style flatbread known as slab bread. The bakery has been characterized as taking traditional bakery products in new directions while using ingredients sourced from local vendors and growers. The available historical record does not state a definitive founding year or identify a founder. It does identify Tim Healea as the owner. In 2009, Lee Posey, a baker associated with Portland restaurant Nel Centro, became the baker of Little T. Posey’s appointment marked an early documented development in the bakery’s staffing and culinary direction. Little T expanded its physical presence in 2013. Healea announced plans for a second location in Union Way, in Portland’s West End. The compact site measured approximately 400 square feet and was referred to as Little T Baker; it was also commonly called Little T. The location opened in October 2013. Public sources supplied for this entry do not establish whether that location remains open, whether the original site continues to operate, or how the business is currently structured. The bakery gained external recognition during the 2010s. The Daily Meal placed it at number 32 in its 2013 list of America’s 50 Best Bakeries. In 2015, Healea was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Baker award. Also in 2015, Business Insider selected Little T to represent Oregon in a national state-by-state bakery ranking. These distinctions positioned the business as a notable participant in Portland’s independent bakery scene and gave it visibility beyond the local market. Later editorial coverage continued to associate Little T with Portland’s high-quality pastry and bread culture. Eater Portland included the bakery in a 2021 guide to flaky, crackly croissants and in a broader 2021 list of outstanding bakeries in Portland and nearby areas. The bakery was also included in an Eater Portland overview published in 2025. These references indicate sustained editorial relevance, although they do not by themselves verify the company’s current operating status or ownership. Little T’s documented development is therefore that of a locally rooted bakery that built recognition through a distinctive craft-baking menu, local sourcing, professional culinary personnel, and a 2013 second-location opening. Information about its finances, corporate registration, employees beyond the named baker, marketing campaigns, supply chain, and current store network is not established in the supplied references.

1. 2025Included in Eater Portland’s best-bakeries overview

   Little T appeared in a later Eater Portland overview of the city’s best bakeries.

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2. 2021Included in Eater Portland bakery guides

   Eater Portland included Little T in guides focused on croissants and outstanding bakeries.

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3. 2015Tim Healea became a James Beard semifinalist

   Owner Tim Healea was named a semifinalist in the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Baker category.

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4. 2015Selected as Oregon’s featured bakery by Business Insider

   Business Insider selected Little T to represent Oregon in its list of the best bakeries in each U.S. state.

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5. 2013Second location opened in Union Way

   A compact second Little T site opened in October in Portland’s West End Union Way after owner Tim Healea announced the expansion.

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6. 2013Placed on The Daily Meal’s 50 Best Bakeries list

   Little T ranked number 32 in The Daily Meal’s list of America’s 50 Best Bakeries.

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7. 2009Lee Posey became the bakery’s baker

   Lee Posey of Nel Centro became baker of Little T, adding an explicitly documented professional baking appointment to the business’s history.

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An independent Portland bakery offering craft breads and pastries, with creative takes on traditional formats and an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients.

• BaguettesBread

  Baguettes are among the bakery’s documented bread offerings. They represent Little T’s connection to classic European bread forms while fitting its broader positioning around carefully made, traditional bakery staples.

• CroissantsPastry

  Croissants are a documented part of Little T’s pastry menu and a major reason for the bakery’s appearance in Portland food coverage. The bakery was specifically included in an Eater Portland guide focused on flaky, crackly croissants.

• Chocolate chip cookiesCookie

  Chocolate chip cookies have appeared among Little T’s menu items, extending the product range beyond breads and laminated pastries into familiar American baked sweets.

• TartsPastry

  Tarts are part of the bakery’s documented pastry selection. They complement the croissant and bread offerings and reflect Little T’s combination of classic forms with changing seasonal or creative interpretations.

• Slab breadFlatbread

  Slab bread is described as a focaccia-style flatbread finished with olive oil and sea salt. It is one of the more distinctive named products associated with Little T’s menu and illustrates the bakery’s emphasis on straightforward ingredients applied to a recognizable bread format.

• 2013Expansion into a second Portland locationStrategy

  After operating as a Portland bakery, owner Tim Healea announced plans to establish a second, compact location in the West End’s Union Way.

  What changed. Little T opened an approximately 400-square-foot site in October 2013 under the Little T Baker name, also commonly known as Little T.

  Aftermath. The expansion was followed by continued inclusion in local and national bakery rankings and editorial guides, although the supplied sources do not document the location’s later operating history.

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• 2025Little T appeared in a 2025 guide to Portland’s best bakeries

  Eater Portland again included Little T in an overview of the city’s best bakeries.

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• 2021Eater Portland included Little T in bakery guides

  Eater Portland featured Little T in guides covering Portland’s flaky, crackly croissants and outstanding bakeries.

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• 2015Tim Healea became a James Beard Outstanding Baker semifinalist

  Owner Tim Healea was recognized as a semifinalist in the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Baker category.

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• 2015Little T represented Oregon in a national bakery roundup

  Business Insider selected Little T as its representative for Oregon in a list of the best bakeries in each U.S. state.

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• 2013Little T American Baker opened a second Portland location

  Owner Tim Healea announced a second Little T location in Portland’s West End. The approximately 400-square-foot Union Way space opened in October.

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• 2013Little T ranked among America’s best bakeries

  The Daily Meal ranked Little T number 32 in its list of America’s 50 Best Bakeries.

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1. Little T American Baker