Clement Schmidt began Schmidt Bakery back in 1963. The original store was a couple blocks away from the current location. It was housed in the back side of a bar/bowling alley. It was originally called “Schmidt’s Place.” Not only did he sell donuts, but he also sold pizzas. Clem even said, “I think we sold more pizzas at that time than we did donuts.” Clem has continued to grow his business ever since.
Clem married his girlfriend, Bertie in 1966, and she became a major contributor to the business. Both becoming a great team over the years.
In 1970 when the Bakery moved to it’s current location downtown, a few changes occurred within the main business. First of all, Clem changed the name of the business to Schmidt Bakery. The pizza part of the business was sold to a fellow native of Batesville, and is still in business today. Schmidt Bakery became a full line bakery with lots to offer. Clem made everything from wedding cakes, to breads, to all kinds of different pastries. We still do the same today. Our products are made fresh, with no preservatives.
More recently, we extended our menu from breads, buns, cakes, pies, cookies, donuts and danish, to include gourmet beverages including, frappes, cappuccinos and lattes. We even have special baked doggy treats!
We are open 6 days a week and have a regular crowd that comes in daily for donuts and coffee. Many patrons over the years still visit us when coming through town. They miss their hometown bakery. Our products are amazing, and I hope you get the chance to taste our scrumptious treats.
Clem has created several signature items over the years. The danish whopper is served daily with caramel or white icing and is a favorite among our regular customers. His Christmas fruit cake is also a favorite seasonal item.
In the winter of 1975, Clem invented the now famous Cherry Thing-a-Ling, which is a twist on the fritter. Over President’s Day weekend, the Schmidt family baker sells tens of thousands of these tasty treats to customers willing to wait in line, in the cold, up to 4 hours! It’s become an annual festival each year, attracting customers from Cincinnati, Indianapolis and surrounding areas all looking to buy dozens of Clem’s famous Cherry Thing-a-Ling’s. In fact, in 2020, Schmidt Bakery sold 160,716 Thing-a-Ling’s, nearly 14,000 dozen! We are already planning for the next President’s Day Thing-a-Ling festival.
We ship freshly made bakery products all over the United States. If you have a request or question don’t be afraid to call. We would love to help fulfill your bakery needs.
Clem has built this business from the ground up and has a reputation of the Best Donuts in Town.
So the next time you’re in the area, come and see us. You’ll be glad you did!