Roger Wrench opened the bakery in 1982 with his mother when he was just 25-years-old.
RUSHVILLE, ILL. -- If it's not the freshly baked doughnuts, it's the cookies and if it's not the cookies it's the homemade pies and if it's not the pies it's the atmosphere that keeps Rushville residents lining up at Roger's Bakery.
"The people are friendly, it's just a nice little quant place close to town," Pat Mitchell, a Roger's Bakery customer said.
"It's a good place to come and visit with the neighbors and hear all the gossip around town," Mary Kalebaugh said. She's been coming to Roger's Bakery since it opened.
"It's a nice place to come visit and see all your friends," John Schoonover, a Rushville resident said.
Roger's Bakery in Rushville celebrated its 30th anniversary Thursday. Roger Wrench opened the bakery in 1982 with his mother when he was just 25-years-old. The only baking experience he had was from when he worked in a college cafeteria.
"The ladies I worked with in the kitchen started to teach me how to make pies and how to make rolls," Wrench said.
All that teaching must have stuck. Everyday Wrench and his staff begins baking around 10:30 at night so that all the treats are ready to go when the bakery opens at 4:30 in the morning, but Roger's isn't just a bakery. For the past five years it's been serving lunch.
"It's a café type lunch where we offer two or three sandwiches and a casserole or a soup," Wrench said.
"It's all homemade, we don't just throw something frozen like Stouffer's in the oven and serve it," Kathy Clayton, a Roger's Bakery employee said. "We prepare it everyday, fresh."
Even with fresh baked good and homemade lunches, Wrench credits his 30 year success to his dedicated employees and a supportive community and the fact that he just loves his job.
"I just truly enjoy being here and serving people and having them enjoy good bakery products and good food," Wrench said.
Rushville residents are doing just that.
Roger's Bakery is open Tuesday through Friday from 4:30 a.m. until two p.m. and on Saturday from 4:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. If you're interested in tasting one of the famous doughnuts make sure to get there early, they usual run out by noon.
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