This October, Uncle Mike’s Bake Shoppe celebrates 25 years.
It’s hard to believe that a quarter century has passed since Mike and Mary Vande Walle opened the doors to the first Uncle Mike’s Bake Shoppe in De Pere, Wisconsin, in 2001.
What started as one family-owned bakery has grown into something bigger than we could have imagined. Today, Uncle Mike’s includes five bakery locations, a 24-hour production bakery, a growing mail-order business that ships our products across the country, and a whole lot of people who have become part of the Uncle Mike’s story.
But after 25 years, some of the most important things haven’t changed.
It Started With a Love of Baking
Long before Uncle Mike’s had multiple locations or shipped Kringle around the country, it started with Mike and Mary and their passion for the baking industry.
They built Uncle Mike’s around the idea that if you were going to make something, you should make it really well.
That meant great ingredients, products made from scratch, and never being afraid to try something new.
Over the years, that philosophy has led to everything from breads and doughnuts to cookies, cakes, pastries and, eventually, the product that would become synonymous with Uncle Mike’s: Wisconsin Kringle.
Then Came the Kringle
Believe it or not, Kringle wasn’t part of Uncle Mike’s when we opened in 2001.
We began making Kringle in 2014.
When we developed ours, we wanted to honor the Danish roots of Kringle, including bringing back its traditional pretzel shape. We developed what we call a “cheater pretzel,” which gives the Kringle its recognizable shape without overlapping the dough and creating thick or doughy areas.
That decision helped create something pretty special.
Our Sea Salt Caramel Pecan Kringle went on to win Best Kringle in North America, and Kringle has grown into one of the biggest parts of what we do.
Today, we make Kringle in flavors ranging from Sea Salt Caramel Pecan and Door County Cherry to seasonal and limited-edition creations, and ship them to customers across the United States.
Not bad for something we didn't even make during our first 13 years.
25 Years of Growing
There have been a lot of changes since 2001.
One bakery became multiple bakeries. Our production grew. Our team grew. We started shipping more products around the country. We opened new concepts, experimented with new ideas and made more than a few mistakes along the way.
Through it all, Uncle Mike’s has remained a family business.
And although awards have never been the reason we bake, we've been incredibly fortunate to receive more than 100 awards and honors over the years.
We've been recognized for our Kringle, breads, cookies, doughnuts and other bakery products. We've been named Best Bakery and Best Doughnut Shop, and we've had the opportunity to represent Wisconsin baking on a much larger stage than we ever imagined when the first shop opened.
Those awards mean a lot to us.
But they're not what has kept the doors open for 25 years.
The People Behind Uncle Mike’s
A bakery doesn't make it 25 years because of one person—or even one family.
It takes a team.
Some of the people who have worked at Uncle Mike’s over the years stayed for a summer or their first high school job. Others have spent a significant part of their careers here. Some started in entry-level positions and eventually became managers and leaders within the company.
Behind every loaf of bread, Kringle, doughnut, wedding cake and cookie is someone who mixed it, rolled it, baked it, decorated it, packaged it, delivered it or handed it across the counter.
We couldn't celebrate 25 years without recognizing the thousands of hours—and the countless early mornings and late nights—that our employees have put into Uncle Mike’s.
To everyone who has been part of our team over the past 25 years: thank you.
And Most Importantly, Thank You
There is another group without whom none of this would have happened: our customers.
Some of you have been shopping with us since the early days in De Pere.
You've brought Uncle Mike’s doughnuts to work on Friday mornings. You've served our cakes at birthdays and weddings. You've sent Kringle to family members across the country. You've stopped in before work for coffee, brought your kids into the bakery and made our products part of your family's holiday traditions.
And then some of those kids grew up and became customers themselves.
That's one of the coolest parts about being in business for 25 years.
We get to be a small part of people's lives.
Here's to the Next 25
Twenty-five years is a milestone worth celebrating, but we don't look at it as a finish line.
We're still experimenting.
We're still developing new products.
We're still trying to make the bakery better.
And we're still excited about what Uncle Mike’s can become.
There are a lot of people who helped take Uncle Mike’s from one bakery in De Pere in 2001 to where we are today. We couldn't possibly name everyone who played a role along the way.
So, to our employees—past and present—to our customers, our community, our vendors, our friends and our family:
Thank you for an incredible 25 years.
We wouldn't be here without you.
And we can't wait to see what we bake up next.
⸻
Thanks for reading!
Whether you're a lifelong Kringle fan or discovering it for the first time, we hope you'll stop by one of our bakeries—or let us ship a little taste of Wisconsin to your doorstep.
— Nathan Vande Walle
Co-Owner, Uncle Mike’s Bake Shoppe