Birger C. Lyndell, born in Sweden in 1866, moved to the United States in 1880, seven years before the founding of Lyndell's Bakery in 1887.[2] He lived in Newton until 1901, when he moved to Somerville at an address a block away from the original location of Lyndell's Bakery.[2] A 1940 Newton directory listed Lyndell as retired.[2] The identity of the original owner was lost until uncovered by Bob Hallett, a genealogy buff, who read about the 120 year anniversary in The Boston Globe.[2]
The bakery's second owner, Eugene Klemm, purchased the business in 1934 and brought a German influence to the recipes.[1] Klemm sold it to Herman and Janet Kett in 1968.[1] In 2000, Gary Bagarella and a partner, Bill Galatis, former executives with South Boston-based Watermark Donut Company, one of Dunkin' Donuts largest franchises, bought the bakery.[3] Bagarella sold his stake in the business to Galatis in early 2000.[1]
Everything is baked from scratch each day, and daily leftovers are donated to the Little Sisters of the Poor.[3] Lyndell's does a strong cake decorating business, and people who've left the area have been known to call from as far away as Georgia and ask for shipments of the bakery's honeycomb bread.[3]
Although customers expressed concerns that there would be radical changes brought by the new owners after 2000,[3] Bill Galatis learned quickly that it would be difficult and risky to make changes to the formula that had made Lyndell's a local institution.[1] The store had stopped opening on Sundays during World War II due to rationing; Galatis changed that and Sunday became their best sales day.[1] He also restored selling cream-filled pastries in the summer months.[1] However, he preserved the classic recipes, custom-decorated sheet cakes, and retro storefront sign that have kept customers coming back.[1]
The bakery has expanded its operations by opening additional locations in Cambridge, near Central Square (opened in 2010, closed in 2013),[4] and in Boston's North End (opened in 2009, closed in 2011).[5]
