Fresh from the Good Old Days

by John Hallowell

       Naegelin’s Bakery is in the heart of the Hill Country’s most historic downtown, and its continuous operation since 1868 makes it the oldest bakery in Texas. New Braunfels was one of the largest cities in Texas when Edouard Naegelin arrived in 1868 with a sack of flour and less than a dollar in his pocket. He was a 24-year-old German immigrant who had fought for the South during the Civil War, then worked for a short time as a baker in San Antonio. His first New Braunfels bakery was in the Goldebagen building, at the site of the present city hall, but in 1870 he moved to the current location on Seguin Street, where his family lived in the upstairs apartment and produced fine baked goods downstairs for more than a century.

       For three generations, the Naegelin family fine-tuned their family recipes, perfecting the breads, strudels, kolaches and other specialties that made them famous. They were known as much for their friendly service as for their delicious creations; customers could count on a warm welcome and spirited conversation along with the wonderful aromas in the little shop, and if neighbors couldn’t make it to the shop, Naegelin’s would deliver their products to their homes. After Edouard’s death in 1923, the bakery was run by his (Americanized) son, Edward, who remodeled the building in 1935 and bought an adjoining property with the second-oldest home in New Braunfels. Edward was succeeded by his own son, Clinton Frank, who finally sold the business when he reached retirement age around 1980. By that time, the bakery was a local icon, and the business employed about a dozen workers.

       The new owner was Wilburn Granzin, who had previously managed a Bill Miller’s BBQ restaurant in San Antonio. He and his family had been frequent visitors to New Braunfels, and appreciated the rich history of the company they were buying. They moved temporarily into the upstairs apartment and set out to modernize and expand the century-old operation. He built an addition on the front of the building to increase the size of the shop, and on the back to increase the bakery’s capacity. The business grew steadily through the ‘80s and ‘90s. When he retired in 1998, two of his three sons (Todd and Ross; the oldest son, Miles, runs Granzin BBQ, just a few blocks from Naegelin’s) took over the family business.

       Todd had worked for his father from the age of thirteen, but left for a career in sales before he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The disease limits his mobility, but he handles the operations of the business very successfully, while his brother, Ross, supervises the actual production in the bakery.

       Business is booming; Naegelin's is now the biggest retail bakery in the area, and employed about two dozen workers in 2008. But they haven’t forgotten the history of the oldest bakery in Texas. They still offer the traditional German baked goods from the old Naegelin recipes, and the shop is till filled with lively conversation and tantalizing aromas – not to mention the display cases packed with tempting baked treats. The old cottage next door (which the Naegelins had remodeled to use for storage) is now a charming bed & breakfast. The Seguin Street block (just south of New Braunfels’ main square) that includes the bakery is one of the most appealing urban landscapes in Texas, and while local residents still make up their core business, Naegelin’s Bakery is a “must-visit” for travelers stopping in New Braunfels. Give it a try!

By John Hallowell

John Hallowell is the past editor of several Hill Country publications. He has been exploring the Texas Hill Country for almost 20 years.