Lyndell's Bakery
Encyclopedia
Lyndell's Bakery is a bakery
in Ball Square
in Somerville, Massachusetts
. In December 2007, it celebrated 120 years of operation. Lyndell's is a classic, full-service American bakery, a rare holdout in New England
communities.
in 1866, moved to the United States
in 1880, seven years before the founding of Lyndell's Bakery in 1887. He lived in Newton
until 1901, when he moved to Somerville at an address a block away from the original location of Lyndell's Bakery. A 1940 Newton directory listed Lyndell as retired. The identity of the original owner was lost until uncovered by Bob Hallett, a genealogy buff, who read about the 120 year anniversary in The Boston Globe
.
The bakery's second owner, Eugene Klemm, purchased the business in 1934 and brought a German
influence to the recipes. Klemm sold it to Herman and Janet Kett in 1968. In 2000, Gary Bagarella and a partner, Bill Galatis, former executives with South Boston-based Watermark Donut Company, one of Dunkin Donuts largest franchises, bought the bakery. Bagarella sold his stake in the business to Galatis in early 2000.
. Lyndell's does a strong cake decorating
business, and people who've left the area have been known to call from as far away as Georgia and ask for shipments of the bakery's honeycomb bread.
due to rationing; Galatis changed that and Sunday became their best sales day. He also restored selling cream-filled pastries in the summer months. However, he preserved the classic recipes, custom-decorated sheet cakes, and retro storefront sign that have kept customers coming back.
The bakery has expanded its operations by opening additional locations in Cambridge, near Central Square (opened in 2010), and in Boston's North End (opened in 2009, closed in 2011).
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
in Ball Square
Ball Square
Ball Square is a neighborhood primarily in Somerville, Massachusetts, but also extending into Medford, at the intersection of Boston Avenue and Broadway, located between Powder House Square and Magoun Square. It is primarily a residential area with a handful of shops and restaurants along Broadway...
in Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
. In December 2007, it celebrated 120 years of operation. Lyndell's is a classic, full-service American bakery, a rare holdout in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
communities.
Ownership history
Birger C. Lyndell, born in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1866, moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1880, seven years before the founding of Lyndell's Bakery in 1887. He lived in Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
until 1901, when he moved to Somerville at an address a block away from the original location of Lyndell's Bakery. A 1940 Newton directory listed Lyndell as retired. The identity of the original owner was lost until uncovered by Bob Hallett, a genealogy buff, who read about the 120 year anniversary in The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
.
The bakery's second owner, Eugene Klemm, purchased the business in 1934 and brought a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
influence to the recipes. Klemm sold it to Herman and Janet Kett in 1968. In 2000, Gary Bagarella and a partner, Bill Galatis, former executives with South Boston-based Watermark Donut Company, one of Dunkin Donuts largest franchises, bought the bakery. Bagarella sold his stake in the business to Galatis in early 2000.
Operations
Everything is baked from scratch each day, and daily leftovers are donated to the Little Sisters of the PoorLittle Sisters of the Poor
The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. It was founded in the 19th century by Saint Jeanne Jugan near Rennes, France. Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.This led her to welcome an...
. Lyndell's does a strong cake decorating
Cake decorating
Cake decorating is one of the sugar arts that uses icing or frosting and other edible decorative elements to make otherwise plain cakes more visually interesting...
business, and people who've left the area have been known to call from as far away as Georgia and ask for shipments of the bakery's honeycomb bread.
Changes after 2000
Although customers expressed concerns that there would be radical changes brought by the new owners after 2000, Bill Galatis learned quickly that it would be difficult and risky to make changes to the formula that had made Lyndell's a local institution. The store had stopped opening on Sundays during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
due to rationing; Galatis changed that and Sunday became their best sales day. He also restored selling cream-filled pastries in the summer months. However, he preserved the classic recipes, custom-decorated sheet cakes, and retro storefront sign that have kept customers coming back.
The bakery has expanded its operations by opening additional locations in Cambridge, near Central Square (opened in 2010), and in Boston's North End (opened in 2009, closed in 2011).