Have You Met Decatur's New Lion Tamer?

Decatur residents and motorists who regularly pass by the Emory Walk Shopping Center may have recently noticed a new business with a rather peculiar name posted above the door - “Lion Tamer Bread.”

Curious onlookers may ask themselves if the bread is solely for lion tamers, or if the bread is so potent that it can render a ferocious lion as docile as a kitten. As it turns out, the bread is meant for humans and the owner hopes that his new bakery becomes a staple of the community.

Brian Dulisse has been baking in his spare time for 15 years, and was often told by friends and family that his bread was so good that it could be sold. Dulisse considered the compliments little more than nice gestures until a friend who works as a chef in Manhattan told him that he really could make some bread with his bread.

Bolstered by the thought of turning his passion into a business, and disheartened with his career in the pharmaceutical industry, Dulisse decided to look around for a business in need of a baker plying his trade. Dulisse’s neighbor reached out to Amy Christine, owner of the Sugar Moon Bake Shop, and she graciously allowed Dulisse to rent oven time for his sourdough creations.

“Amy was great, very supportive,” Dulisse said. “Some stranger walks up to her and says, ‘Hey, can I rent time in your ovens?’ and she took a chance on me.”

Over time, Dulisse’s mild “French style” sourdough baked goods caught on with Sugar Moon patrons, and he decided to step out on his own and start his own business. However, he needed a name.

Dulisse is a big fan of the British sketch comedy series ”Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” and especially enjoys the “Vocational Guidance Counsellor” sketch, where a bumbling accountant named Mr. Anchovy seeks to begin a career as a lion tamer. Lion Tamer Bread was born.

The bakery has been open since the third week of February, and Dulisse says that some of the biggest challenges he has encountered are ones shared by first-time business owners everywhere - inventories, planning his daily offerings around how busy he expects to be, and wearing several different hats while on the job.

When he isn’t busy filling out a new order form or trying to get a license for his pet fish Eric, Dulisse is busy baking delicious sourdough loaves that have a stiffer crumb than other local bakeries he has encountered. Some of his offerings include the French style he perfected at Sugar Moon, a more flavorful ”blonde” bread, rye bread with caraway seeds, and a double-fermented oat porridge bread. Dulisse has even begun offering special breads to weekend customers.

Dulisse has eyes on “dominating the world one loaf at a time,” but would be thrilled to become an integral part of the Decatur community. Ideally, his business will be alive with repeat customers, and he’s already noticing some familiar faces in only the first three weeks.

The Oakhurst resident says he is looking forward to putting down roots in the Decatur area and hopes to become the “neighborhood bakery” for as many local neighborhoods as possible.

Try to avoid the Spanish Inquisition, Brian!