Like the end of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”, Staten Islanders came out strong to support and buy products from Holtermann’s Bakery on Staten Island — falsely accused by Whoopi Goldberg of denying her Charlotte Russe’s because of politics on her show “The View” on November 13, 2024.
The line in front of Holtermann’s on Sunday, November 17th was an hour long but it was a fun time — like being at a Trump rally with conversations and cars passing by honking horns in salute, and the fresh-baked goods delicious.
The Controversy
By all accounts, the controversy started when a rep for Whoopi Goldberg called Holtermann’s on November 6 to order 50 Charlotte Russe’s — Whoopi’s favorite desert growing up — to have on the show “The View” on Whoopi’s birthday.
According to owner Jill Holtermann, “We just couldn’t commit to the order. Our boiler was down at the time.” A rep for “The View” called a week later on November 13 to place the same order, and Holtermann’s Bakery filled it, as their boiler was fixed.
Holtermann’s in Business Since 1878
Holtermann’s Bakery has been in business since 1878. Owner Jill Holtermann explains how the bakery started: “My great grandfather came over from Hanover, Germany, and he decided he wanted to be a baker. Grandpa used to go door to door with horse and buggy. He’d knock and people’s door, and ask “Would you like to buy fresh bread today?” And people would be yes, from 6 loaves of bread, we went to 12 loaves of bread, we went to a business.”
- The business was started by Claus Holtermann in a house on Center Street in what is now called Richmondtown, near St Patrick’s Church.
- Claus’s son Albert Holtermann built the existing brick Holtermann’s Bakery on Arthur Kill Road in Great Kills. That location opened in 1930 and remains Holtermann’s location today.
- Albert’s 2 sons — Clifford and Albert — came into the business and ran it next.
- Today, Clifford’s daughter Jill Holtermann Bowers and Albert’s son Billy run the operation.
A Door-to-Door Bakery & the Famed Holtermann Trucks
From its horse-and-buggy roots, Holtermann’s evolved to using delivery trucks that transported items to residences along 20 routes on Staten Island. Customers who wished the truck to stop by would place an “H” in their window.
Holtermanns’ became famous as a door-to-door bakery with its orange and blue trucks. At one point they were making over 5,000 loaves a bread per day.
Holtermann’s stopped its door-to-door deliveries in the 1980’s. At that point they were one of the last bakeries in the US doing door-to-door deliveries.
Holtermann’s still has one of the trucks on premises.
Distributed to Stores
From the 1970’s through 1990’s Holtermann’s started a wholesale operation, distributing their breads and baked goods to stores in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Poughkeepsie.
The Famed Holtermann’s Crumb Buns
Holtermann’s offers many kinds of pies in boxes, and breads and deserts. It is particularly known for its Crumb Buns.
Holtermann’s Makes the Charlotte Russe
The Charlotte Russe is a Push Pop–style pastry consisting of a disc of sponge cake topped with a dollop of jam, crowned by spirals of whipped cream, with a nut-dusted Maraschino cherry on top.
It is encased in a cardboard shell with a movable bottom — as you eat it, you are supposed to push the bottom up with your thumb, allowing access to the pastry’s deeper layers. It was once an iconic New York City street food.
A Video on Holtermann’s — Made Long Before the Controversy
Below is a terrific video on Holtermann’s, made several years ago — long before the controversy. It is interesting to note that the video mentions people lineup outside the store on Sunday morning’s for its fresh-baked goods.
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