Spindler Family Celebrates First Holiday Season Back In Business


It certainly promises to be a special holiday season for residents Ginny and Bob Spindler this year – unlike any they have had in about 22 years.

That is because once again the Spindlers get to share this holiday season with the rest of the Hasbrouck Heights community as they bake up cakes, cookies and other goodies, resuming their classic family traditions all from behind the counter of the very same bakery they were a part of more than two decades ago.

"We are so happy to be back," Ginny Spindler said gleefully. After 22 years, she and her husband Bob had the opportunity to re-open Spindler's Bakery in the exact same Boulevard location where it stood as a staple in the community from 1956 to 1988. The shop had its grand re-opening this past September and is in full swing for its first holiday season.

Bob and Ginny are the second generation of Spindlers to bring homemade baked goods to this community. In 1956, Bob's parents Bill and Marie Spindler opened the bakery shop at the 247 Boulevard location.

Ginny relayed that Bob began baking with his parents when he was a kid and got into the business as he got older. When Ginny was 15-years-old she began to work for Spindler's Bakery and that is when she met Bob.  They fell in love, got married and the Spindler tradition of baking carried on.

"Bob's parents met in a bakery too," Ginny Spindler added noting the cute coincidence between the two couples.

Ginny and Bob Spindler took over the bakery shop in the 1980s. In 1988, when their son was born and their daughter was five years old, the couple made the difficult decision to close the shop in order to focus on their family. During this time Ginny was able to be a stay-at-home mom and Bob had the opportunity to coach sports games and have more time family around his job in the food industry.

Ginny said over the years they often talked about starting the bakery up again. Most recently they even began to seek a location.

One day they walked past their old shop on the Boulevard and found it vacant. The most recent owner had closed and Ginny wondered if it was a sign.

And now here they are once again baking gingerbread houses, pfeffernusse cookies and other delights – all in Spindler fashion.

She believes that the shop changed owners about six times during their 22-year absence.  Earlier owners kept the Spindler name for awhile but over the years the name of the shop changed. 

Joining the Spindlers behind the counter is baker Noreen Gallo, who is Ginny and Bob's daughter's best friend. Noreen started with them when they reopened the shop.

"We really came full circle," said Spindler.