Tradition continues for Indy doughnut staple
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIn March, Long’s Bakery on the near west side of Indianapolis was named to Thrillist’s list of “The 32 Best Donut Shops in America.” The Indy staple has been a must-stop for locals and out-of-towners alike for over six decades. The third generation of the Long family is currently operating the bakery, and pretty soon, the next generation will take over.
Around INdiana Reporter Mary-Rachel Redman visited Long’s Bakery to learn about its history and future.
The bakery was founded on Tremont Street, not far from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in 1955 by Carl Long. It’s now run by Long’s granddaughter, Cindy Reine, and her husband Joe, along with her brothers, Dennis and Mike Rinehart.
“We all have a very good working rapport. You have to talk. You just have to talk,” said Mike Rinehart. “We all got our little niche of stuff, and that’s what makes it work. We’ve tried to do the same thing we’ve done since the beginning, same ingredients and all that just made one at a time by hand.”
Rinehart says the bakery has about 100 employees between its location at 1453 N Tremont Street, as well as its second shop at 2301 E Southport Road on the city’s south side.
He says the bakery’s success can be attributed to its staff.
“It’s the employees that make us. You treat them well, they do well for you,” he said.
Cindy Reine says tradition is also what makes Long’s special for the owners and the customers.
“We’re not all about the fancy doughnuts, you know, with a lot of different toppings and stuff,” she said. “We are about very basic, simple doughnuts that we’ve had for years that people can come in and eat two or three or four at a time. They like the nostalgia of what they’ve always had.”
Beginning next year, the fourth generation of the Long family will take over operations for the bakery.