Fine Breads since 1888.

   The success of Baldinger Bakery reaches back across generations – to 1888 when Henry and Rebecca Baldinger left Eastern Europe and made their way across the Atlantic to the promise of America, finally settling in St. Paul, Minnesota. They arrived with little money, but carried one possession with them that proved to be invaluable – their baking expertise.

   Ready to start anew amidst the hope and opportunities of America, Henry and Rebecca began baking breads and other fresh favorites for locals from their small, simple home at Rondo Avenue and Summit Place in Minnesota’s capital city. H. Baldinger Bakery was open for business – and a legendary story in Minnesota baking history had begun.

   As the bakery gained a following, the business grew, and Henry and Rebecca moved to several locations to accommodate their need for more space. In 1901, they relocated to Carroll Avenue, where the bakery remained a local institution for 58 years, embedded in the fabric of the neighborhood. From here, the Baldingers served their trademark breads, buns and rolls to area businesses and local patrons. Henry and his son, Sam, embraced the technological advances of the day – especially their new gas-powered truck, which streamlined deliveries and ensured their fresh-baked favorites got to customers even faster.

   A quintessential family bakery, the business was handed down from Henry to Sam and from Sam to his son, Bob Baldinger. Through a lot of hard work – and a little good fortune – Bob was instrumental in elevating the bakery from a local enterprise to a regional player. One evening in 1957 forever changed the company. While making a delivery to the old Criterion Restaurant on University Avenue, Bob became involved in a conversation with some businessmen who wanted buns made and packaged a specific way for their new restaurant. After analyzing their request and working the numbers in his head, Bob proclaimed, “Sure, we can do it.”

   That restaurant? It turned out to be the first McDonald’s in Minnesota. Baldinger Bakery has been supplying buns to the McDonald’s corporation ever since that meeting more than 50 years ago.

   The business continued to expand throughout the 1950s and ‘60s, providing an ever-wider array of customers with breads and rolls tailored to their exact needs. With demand surging, we built a larger baking facility in 1969 on Eva Street, where we are currently located.

   In 1991, Baldinger Bakery partnered with East Balt Bakeries in Chicago, another large supplier of McDonald’s buns. We had become business colleagues and good friends with the associates from East Balt ever since Bob Baldinger began working with McDonald’s. Together, we now supply the McDonald’s corporation with 30% of its buns and we’re proud to serve this great customer.

   Enhancing the legacy that Henry and Rebecca established and each new Baldinger generation has enriched, today we have a new vision – a new dream. Under the guidance of Bob’s son, Steve, we are constructing a new, state-of-the-art facility that will allow us to bring even more innovative products and solutions to our customers. The new Baldinger Bakery will combine “The Best in Tradition and Technology,” placing us firmly on baking’s cutting edge.

   However, we're still a family bakery at heart - with the same passion for quality, the same strong commitment to our customers and the same devotion to our roots in St. Paul.