Lingering on the Palate: Heller’s Bakery (1928 - 2014)
Opened by German immigrants, Heller’s Bakery was a Mount Pleasant institution, operating from the 1920s into the 2010s.
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A “Pillar of Pastry,” as deemed by Paul Schwartzman of The Washington Post, Heller’s Bakery filled the air of the Mount Pleasant neighborhood with the sweet smell of doughnuts and apple turnovers for almost nine decades. Opened in 1928 by Ludwig Heller, a German immigrant, Heller’s, at one point, grew to employ 50 people, with delivery trucks and nearly half a dozen stands around the city.
In 2014, and five owners later, Heller's was forced to close, due to high rent and a decrease in sales. However, Heller’s lives on, as the building still includes the large mural on its south elevation proclaiming: “Heller’s Bakery est. 1928, Pies Rolls Cakes Home Made Ice Cream.” Additionally, the blue hanging sign with white lettering still rises above Mount Pleasant Street. The current restaurant’s name, Elle, is a subtle reference to the once popular bakery.
This is a stop on the Lingering on the Palate: the Ghosts of the DC Food Scene Tour.
