Even after more than 100 years in operation, Valley Lahvosh Baking Company in Fresno has introduced a new product for the autumn season: pumpkin-shaped crackers. The bakery, which began as a small local business and now occupies an entire city block, continues to expand its offerings and reach.
“We now have a shape for every season,” said Agnes Saghatelian, president and owner of the company. The bakery’s heart-shaped crackers are popular year-round, especially during Valentine’s Day, while star shapes are featured in summer and at Fourth of July events. Christmas tree shapes are sold in winter, and the new pumpkin crackers are designed for fall.
Saghatelian noted that the variety of cracker shapes helps attract major retailers interested in rotating seasonal displays. Currently, about 95% of Valley Lahvosh’s products are shipped outside Fresno to stores across the United States, including Albertsons, Safeway, Save Mart, Sprouts, and Hy-Vee.
The company was founded in 1922 by Gazair Saghatelian, who was originally a master baker in Armenia. According to Agnes Saghatelian, “The lahvosh, the type of crackerbread that we make, is pretty unique. There’s different types of lahvosh. Some of it is soft and pliable. Ours is the crisp crackerbread. So that’s really what sets us apart – the type of product it is and the unique shapes and sizes.”
The bakery remains at its original location on M Street, though the surrounding neighborhood has changed over time. “When it first began, we were in the heart of Armenian Town,” Agnes Saghatelian said. “It was a neighborhood with lots of homes, stores, and a lot of foot traffic, with the bakery and the church. People would go to church then they would walk across the street to get their fresh peda and go home and have family dinner.”
Community members continue to visit and share memories of past generations visiting the bakery. “A lot of people will come in and share stories about how they used to come in with their parents or their grandparents, and so it’s really, really nice to hear those stories,” she said. “People seem very happy and grateful that we’re still here and we’re still open. They come in and they buy the bread and it kind of takes them back down memory lane.”
Valley Lahvosh’s shop at 502 M Street is open Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering pumpkin crackers alongside other shapes, crackerbread rounds, and traditional peda bread.
For updates on business developments in Fresno County, readers are encouraged to stay connected with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
