At Old Fashion Bakery, we believe that great baked goods bring people together. Located in the heart of Beloit, Wisconsin, our bakery has been a cherished part of the community for generations. We take pride in crafting fresh, high-quality breads, pastries, and sweet treats that have become a daily tradition for families in the area.
Commitment to quality, consistency, and tradition. We use time-honored recipes, the finest ingredients, and a passion for baking to create goods that taste just like home. From warm, flaky croissants to perfectly frosted cookies and classic breads, every item is made with care and attention to detail.
Louis Schroeder and his wife, Clara, moved from Beaver Dam to Beloit, Wisconsin with their 5 children.
It was a time when Beloit Fairbanks Fairies football, baseball and basketball teams cemented their names into Beloit history. The football team famously invited the Green Bay Packers to play against them and forced them to leave the town leaving their undefeated record behind.
Louis was always a bit of a visionary who saw an opportunity to start a new venture in their new hometown. With the help of his children, he began making potato chips in his backyard. The older offspring had the privilege of peeling the potatoes, while the youngster of the bunch sealed the packages with an iron. Then off to the ball parks to sell the chips!
That small venture resulted in the Old Fashioned Bake Shop being born in Clara’s kitchen, where small batches of bread, rolls, and coffee cakes filled the house with delicious aroma of comfort foods.
A.C. Foster joined the Schroeders and alongside Louis set up their business in a building on the corner of Portland Avenue and Third Street.
In January, Clem Schroeder took over his father interest in the company and joined forces with A.C. As spring approached, Clem’s brother-in-law, Earl McMaster bought Foster’s shares and officially became a partner in March. By August, the two brothers-in-law moved the business to 221 West Grand Avenue.
Clem, who married his sweetheart, Mary Engel in 1935, experienced an untimely loss when Earl passed away. While navigating through the unexpected, Clem & Mary became the sole owners of the bakery.
On July 13th, Clem signed a lease for the Vales Building that stood at 108 West Grand Avenue. He moved the bakery on August 1st and they reopened their doors on the 9th of the same month. The move didn’t come without challenges. The Rock River flood forced the bakery operations to move upstairs from their basement set up. World War II left the country in search of bakers who were often founding working in war plants. Rationing was also in full swing, and typical items like flour and sugar, to name a couple were hard to come by. Drivers were limited to 4 gallons per week of gas, intensifying the already challenging times.
The Shroeders sold the bakery to Dennis & Rose Mulcahy who impressively ran the business for 5 decades. Throughout their successful run as owners, another local businessman, Ron Ross, who the Mulcanys partnered with when they were looking for an accounting service, recognized just how much of a community treasure the local bakery is.
Dennis & Rose put the bakery up for sale and by December 9th and Ron & Cindy Ross became the new owners.
Today the bakery operates out of a 7,100 sq. ft. building located at 1255 Park Ave. It employs 22 people full-time. The store routinely draws customers to their physical location to buy delicious bakery items all year round. Although the ownership has changed, the quality of our baked goods remains the same. We have no plans to alter the beloved recipes that our community knows and loves.
