Holey Artisan Bakery

Holey Artisan Bakery is an artisanal bakery and restaurant brand founded in Bangladesh in 2014 by Nasirul Alam Porag after his return from the United States. The concept emerged from a perceived lack of high-quality artisanal bakery options in Dhaka, and its first restaurant was established on Road 79 in Gulshan-2, close to the city's diplomatic quarter. The location attracted both Bangladeshi customers and Dhaka's expatriate community, and the restaurant became known as one of the city's prominent and well-regarded dining establishments. The brand's history was profoundly shaped by the terrorist attack at its original Gulshan location on 1 July 2016. The attack resulted in the deaths of 29 people, including 20 hostages, two police officers, five attackers, and two bakery employees. The incident led to the closure of the original restaurant and became one of the most consequential security events associated with a commercial venue in Bangladesh. The attack also permanently linked the Holey Artisan name with the event in international media, notwithstanding the business's identity as a bakery and restaurant. Holey Artisan Bakery subsequently resumed operations in Dhaka from the Rangs Arcade building in Gulshan, a site the restaurant described as more secure, reopening on 10 January 2017. The original premises later operated under the name Oro Bakery. The reported renaming reflected local restrictions on using the Holey name in Dhaka rather than a simple brand extension or rebranding decision. The former Holey Artisan building has also been associated with plans by the owners to convert it into a private residence. The brand expanded outside Bangladesh in 2016. Its first overseas branch opened in Bangkok in September, shortly before the Dhaka reopening. Unlike the Dhaka location, the Thai branches retained the Holey Artisan Bakery name. Reference material identifies four Bangkok branches, making Thailand the brand's principal operating market outside Bangladesh. Holey Artisan is also described as a sister company of Izumi. The available record presents Holey Artisan Bakery primarily as a locally rooted hospitality brand rather than a publicly listed corporation or a large packaged-food manufacturer. Its proposition centers on artisanal bakery products and restaurant service, with a customer base spanning local residents, expatriates, and international visitors. Corporate financial information, a standalone public website, executive roster beyond the founder, and detailed product-line data are not established in the supplied sources.

Holey Artisan Bakery was established in 2014 by Nasirul Alam Porag after he returned to Bangladesh from the United States. The founding idea was based on the difficulty of finding a proper artisanal bakery in Dhaka. Porag and his partner opened the original restaurant on Road 79 in Gulshan-2, near the capital's diplomatic area. The venue served bakery and restaurant customers and developed a mixed clientele of Bangladeshis and expatriates. It was subsequently described in international coverage as one of Dhaka's most beloved restaurants. The business suffered a defining tragedy on 1 July 2016, when the original Gulshan restaurant was attacked by terrorists. The incident killed 29 people in total: 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners and three local people; two police officers; five attackers; and two members of the bakery staff. The attack resulted in the closure of the original venue and made the Holey Artisan name internationally associated with the event. The episode also forced the owners to reconsider the location and security conditions under which the brand operated. Despite the attack, the business pursued international expansion. Its first overseas branch opened in Bangkok in September 2016. This Thai expansion occurred shortly before the Dhaka business resumed operations and established Thailand as an important market for the brand. The Bangkok locations continued to use the Holey Artisan name, while the Dhaka operation later adopted the name Oro Bakery. The available account attributes the Dhaka naming change to a local authority not permitting continued use of the word "Holey," rather than to a conventional voluntary brand refresh. On 10 January 2017, the bakery and restaurant reopened in the Rangs Arcade building in Gulshan. The new location was presented as more secure than the original premises. Reference material identifies four branches in Bangkok, while the original Dhaka building has since been associated with Oro Bakery. The owners have reportedly considered converting the former restaurant building into a residence for themselves. Holey Artisan Bakery is described as a sister company of Izumi. It remains a privately held hospitality and bakery brand with activity in Bangladesh and Thailand. Publicly available information supplied for this entry does not establish financial results, a formal corporate ownership structure beyond the reported sister-company relationship, a comprehensive executive team, or a detailed catalog of named products.

1. 2017Dhaka operation reopens at Rangs Arcade

   The brand reopened in a new Gulshan venue on 10 January, describing the Rangs Arcade building as more secure.

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2. 2016First Bangkok branch opens

   Holey Artisan Bakery opened its first overseas branch in Bangkok in September, beginning its expansion into Thailand.

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3. 2016Attack on the original Gulshan restaurant

   A terrorist attack at the original Dhaka location on 1 July killed 29 people and forced the restaurant to close.

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4. 2014Holey Artisan Bakery is founded in Dhaka

   Nasirul Alam Porag founded the bakery after returning from the United States, responding to what he and his partner saw as a lack of proper artisanal bakery options in Dhaka.

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An artisanal bakery and restaurant serving local and expatriate customers, positioned around bakery craftsmanship and hospitality in urban Bangladesh and Thailand.

• Artisanal bakery productsBakery2014

  The brand is centered on artisanal bakery products. The supplied references do not provide a verified item-by-item menu, so this category is described at the level supported by the available record rather than through named products.

• Bakery restaurant offeringsRestaurant and café2014

  Holey Artisan locations combine bakery retail with restaurant or café service for local customers, expatriates, and visitors. Specific dishes and standardized product lines are not documented in the supplied reference material.

• 2017Reopen the Dhaka business at a more secure siteStrategy

  The original Gulshan restaurant closed after the July 2016 terrorist attack.

  What changed. The operation reopened on 10 January 2017 in the Rangs Arcade building in Gulshan, which the restaurant described as more secure.

  Aftermath. The original premises later operated under the name Oro Bakery, while the Thai branches continued using the Holey Artisan name.

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• 2016Expand into ThailandStrategy

  Before the Dhaka business reopened after the 2016 attack, the brand had opened its first overseas location in Bangkok.

  What changed. Holey Artisan launched a Bangkok branch in September 2016 and retained the Holey Artisan name for its Thai locations.

  Aftermath. The brand expanded to four Bangkok branches according to the supplied reference material, making Thailand its main market outside Bangladesh.

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• 2016Terrorist attack at the original Holey Artisan BakeryControversy

  On 1 July 2016, terrorists attacked the original Gulshan restaurant. The incident killed 29 people, including 20 hostages, two police officers, five attackers, and two bakery employees. The venue closed afterward and the event became central to the public history of the brand.

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• 2017Holey Artisan Bakery reopens at a new Gulshan location

  The Dhaka operation reopened on 10 January 2017 in the Rangs Arcade building in Gulshan, described by the restaurant as a more secure site.

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• 2016Holey Artisan opens its first Bangkok branch

  The brand opened its first overseas branch in Bangkok in September 2016. The Thai operation retained the Holey Artisan name.

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1. Holey Artisan Bakery