Zak the Baker and O, Miami Launch “Poems for Bread” to Celebrate Miami Food Culture

Zak the Baker and nonprofit O, Miami are inviting locals to trade original poems for fresh bread in a creative, month-long event celebrating Miami’s food culture.

For the third consecutive year, the Wynwood-based bakery is partnering with O, Miami on “Poems for Bread,” an initiative that asks patrons to write a haiku about Miami’s food—its ingredients, traditions, and the people who grow and prepare it. In exchange, participants receive a loaf of bread. The program runs during bakery hours, Sunday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding October 2, 7, 8, 14, and 15. Trades are limited to one per person per day, and all fresh bread is included except for braided challah, while supplies last.

Two winners will be announced on November 14: a grand prize recipient will receive free bread for a year, and a runner-up will take home a native fruit tree. O, Miami encourages participants to get creative, whether gifting bread to neighbors or hosting a poetic lunch break with coworkers. The organization will also host a kickoff event on October 1, 8–10 a.m. at Zak the Baker.

O, Miami, which teaches poetry in schools and publishes community work throughout South Florida, is also accepting submissions for its 15th annual Poetry Festival: Poetry & Wonder, scheduled for April 2026.

For more information about “Poems for Bread” or to submit a project proposal, visit omiami.org.

By ML Staff. Photo/O