Zuppa’s Deli, a popular destination for Italian food with locations in Cranberry Township and Wexford, said it has acquired local bakery chain Loafers Bread Company, expanding its offerings to loyal customers across the region.

Zuppa’s Deli owners Robert Stackhouse Jr., Rich Harshman and Michael Kyle will lead the two companies as an equal partnership. Loafers’ locations in Cranberry Township, Wexford and Fox Chapel will retain its name and will be managed by Stackhouse and the Zuppa’s Deli team.

“We felt like Loafers’ brand and our brand had some synergies that were just too obvious to overlook,” said Stackhouse. “Zuppa’s Deli has an opportunity to have handcrafted breads produced for us moving forward, which gives us the ability to further personalize the experience for our guests by providing a better quality product than any other deli.”

Stackhouse, Harshman and Kyle founded Zuppa’s Deli in 2010 and opened the first location in Wexford.

Loafers’ founders Bill and Nancy Croker opened their business in Pittsburgh in 1996.

Since the acquisition, the teams at Zuppa’s Deli and Loafers have been working in tandem to create menu options that highlight their partnership.

In the future, Loafers will provide Zuppa’s Deli with fresh and consistent bread options, while Zuppa’s Deli will provide sandwiches and panini to Loafers stores.