Pratzel's Bakery To Live On

A little more than a month after closings it's retail counter inside in addition to a bakery in Olivette, Pratzel's baked goods are making a comeback, under a new owner.

Sunday, in a news release, Jon Mills, described as a documentary film producer and a "foodie" and Ron Pratzel, announced a deal to sell Mills the Pratzel trademark, recipes and kitchen equipment. Monday, Ron Pratzel told Patch he will stay on and work in sales and as a consultant as the new venture attempts to regain some of the company's wholesale clients. Mills, a Clayton resident, began meeting with the family in late February and admitted Monday "It wasn't my life's dream to own a kosher bakery."

Pratzel's had been serving the kosher and non-kosher bakery needs of St. Louis for almost a century, first in University City, and later in retail outlets in Creve Coeur. . Sunday's announcement dismissed the financial rationale and said it was a matter of finding the right fit to continue the bakery's legacy once the Pratzels did not have a family member interested in doing it.

The new operation, both production and retail, will be run entirely out of the former Pratzel bakery facility on Dielmann Industrial Court in Olivette. Mills said he's targeting a May 1 opening, but noted that challenges remain in "stepping into a culture with a 98 year tradition," yet facing hurdles one might encounter with a startup business.  Sunday's announcement said the new company will be called Eastgate Bakers, paying homage to the former Pratzel location on Eastgate in University City. Monday Mills said no final decision had been made on the name but that Pratzel's would still be part of it in some way.

Ron Pratzel said Monday Mills' age and ability to be a more aggressive marketer of the business were plusses for the new venture moving forward but said, "the proof is in the product."