Customers Once Flocked To This Indiana Bakery Chain — Now It Only Exists On Grocery Store Shelves

Before national bakery chains arrived in Indiana, families waited in line at a local bakery for fresh goods. Roselyn Bakery became a beloved destination for many Hoosiers, and the recipes drew customers from across the region. The treats were so well received that a cookbook documented ingredients and methods, and aspiring bakers set out to try to replicate the flavors at home.  

Founded in 1943 by the John Clark family, Roselyn Bakery began with humble roots before expanding into a multi-location business. Cakes, breads, and pastries offered both daily treats and sweets ordered for special occasions. "When I was a little girl my dad would always take me to Roselyn's on our way to my grandparents' house since it was up the street from there," recalled a customer on Facebook. "He would always let me get a smiley face cookie with yellow royal icing and chocolate icing for the eyes and smile." Pecan tea cookies, cream horns, sweetheart coffee cake, gingerbread cookies, and Danish dandies were baked from scratch and served fresh.

The company states that Grade A ingredients have been used since the bakery's beginnings. "Still miss them! Went to the one in Broad Ripple when I was a Butler student. Favorites included their Napoleons, buttermilk cookies, and those addictive little tea cookies!" wrote a fan on Facebook. "Just walking into the building you just wanted to breathe IN without breathing out!" added another.

As consumer habits changed in the '90s and operational hands changed — including some health violations — several locations closed, but the brand wasn't entirely relegated to memory. Unable to fully recover from reports of rodents and uncleanliness, Roselyn's Bakery was shuttered in 1999. One year later, similar bakery items were sold to supermarkets through a new venture, Roselyn's Recipes. Many of the products still appear on displays in Kroger and Needler and customers can place orders online, but some have noted that what is found in the grocery stores is nothing compared to what was sampled straight out of the original bakery.