For 70 years, Victoria’s Dutch Bakery has been serving pastries, hearty breakfasts and classic diner favourites in the downtown core. Today, the family-owned business is celebrating a milestone few restaurants ever achieve: a place among Victoria’s longest-running dining institutions. The bakery opened in 1955 after the Schaddelee family immigrated from the Netherlands. What began as a small coffee shop on Fort Street grew into a business spanning three generations, with children, spouses and grandchildren all helping behind the counter and in the kitchen. Today, cousins Michele Byrne, Jack Schaddelee and Brook Schaddelee continue operating the bakery. “It’s a family legacy to be really proud of,” Byrne said. “We’re a big part of a lot of people’s lives and celebrations in Victoria, which is amazing. We’re really fortunate. Our grandparents and parents started an amazing business.” While downtown Victoria has changed dramatically over the years, the bakery has evolved alongside it. Byrne says office workers no longer feel the lunch rush the way they once did, but tourists, downtown residents and longtime regulars continue to keep the business busy. Byrne says the bakery continues to see longtime customers return, while new generations discover the downtown staple. “We have third- and fourth-generation customers as well,” Byrne said. “People have been coming in for decades.” Many still come for longtime favourites like vanilla slices, Dutch pastries and freshly baked cookies, while the diner’s house-made hamburgers and all-day breakfasts remain among the most popular menu items. To mark the anniversary, the bakery has been thanking customers with complimentary desserts, special promotions and other treats throughout the week. For longtime customer Robin Jones, the reason he keeps returning goes beyond what’s on the menu. “The big thing is actually the owner,” he said. Jones visits several times a week, often ordering bacon and eggs with hash browns before catching up with staff who greet him by name. “I think a lot of the personal touch has left our society,” he said. “It’s nice to have someplace where you go and they say, ‘Hi, Robin.’ It feels good.” He believes that’s what has kept the Dutch Bakery thriving for seven decades. “It’s a huge community connection.” As the bakery celebrates its 70th anniversary, Byrne says the milestone is also an opportunity to give back to the people who have made it possible. “We just want to say thank you to Victoria,” she said. “Thank you for continuing to support us and for making us part of your family traditions.”
