Sometimes a bagel isn’t just a bagel. In St. Louis, it was a story, a tradition and, for a century, the backbone of a bakery that made the city’s kosher scene a little more delicious. This week, as we dive into bagel content—and carbs in general—we tip our hats (and our toasted bagels) to the legacy of Pratzel’s Bakery.
The legacy of Pratzel’s Bakery
Pratzel’s wasn’t just any bakery; it was the bakery for generations of St. Louisans. Established in 1913 by Max Pratzel and his brother Nathan, the bakery started in the heart of St. Louis’ Jewish quarter, which would be located in present-day north St. Louis between Sixth and Eighteenth streets.
“Max Pratzel, who had been a baker in Poland, entered the fray, opening a bakery, possibly at 1102 Carr,” said Dr. Harley Hammerman, who preserves St. Louis’ culinary history through his Lost Tables and Lost Dishes projects. “By 1916, Max and his brother Nathan had opened Pratzel Brothers Bakery at 2839 Dickson.”
The early years
As the Jewish community moved, so did Pratzel Brothers Bakery. In 1928, the bakery moved westward to 5615 Easton Avenue and then again in 1931 to 611 Eastgate Avenue in University City. Max and Sarah Pratzel and their three children lived in an apartment over the bakery at 609a Eastgate.
The Pratzel family’s connection to their bakery ran deep. From childhood, Max Pratzel’s children worked in the store after school and during summers, and even their spouses contributed after marriage.
“The bakery wasn’t just a business—it was home,” said Hammerman.
During the Great Depression, Pratzel’s was known for its generosity. The family often extended credit or gave away bread to those in need. During those years, Pratzel’s often delivered half-loaves of bread or a few bagels because that’s all some could afford.
“The family let them pay later, or not at all if they couldn’t. That’s what the bakery was about—serving the community,” said Hammerman.
Generations of bakers
When Max became disabled in his early 50s, his children stepped in to keep the business running. After World War II, his son Nate officially took over management, working alongside his brother Alvin, sister Yetta Lugger and brother-in-law Aaron Lugger.
By the time Max Pratzel passed away in 1963 at the age of 77, the family had cemented their reputation as a cornerstone of the St. Louis community. Nate, one of Max’s three sons, carried the legacy forward, supported by his sons Ronald, Robert and Alan.
“When I was born, my family lived above the bakery,” Ron Pratzel recalled in a 2017 interview with Hammerman. “We worked on top of each other, and we made a whole lot of bread.”
The legend of Pratzel’s tzizel rye
Long before sourdough became synonymous with San Francisco, Jewish bakers were perfecting ryes and pumpernickel breads using sourdough starters brought from Europe. Pratzel’s Bakery was no exception.
“When Max Pratzel arrived in St. Louis, he went to another Jewish baker and asked for a small portion of his sour culture,” Hammerman explained. “Pratzel’s continued to grow that culture for almost 100 years and used it to make their rye bread.”
While the sourdough starter was the heart of their rye bread, it was a simple innovation that elevated one variety to legendary status. Bakers traditionally used cornmeal to slide loaves in and out of ovens. Nate Pratzel, Max’s son, developed a fondness for the taste of the cornmeal-coated bottoms of rye bread.
“Nate liked the taste so much that he would cut the bottoms off and take them home,” Hammerman noted.
That small indulgence sparked an idea: why not coat the entire loaf in cornmeal? The result was tzizel rye bread, a product that became synonymous with Pratzel’s. Customers flocked to the bakery for its distinct flavor and texture, making it one of their bestsellers.
“Tzizel rye wasn’t just bread—it was a hallmark of the bakery’s ingenuity and their connection to Jewish baking traditions,” Hammerman reflected.
The back door of Pratzel’s
For generations, Pratzel’s Bakery wasn’t just a place to buy baked goods—it was an experience, and for many, that experience began at the back door. Located at 611 Eastgate Avenue in University City, Pratzel’s front entrance faced east, welcoming customers during the day. But for night owls, it was the back door, opening onto an alley between Delmar Boulevard and Interdrive, that became legendary.
In the 1930s and 1940s, early risers and late-night wanderers were drawn to the back door by the irresistible aroma of fresh-baked bagels and other treats.
“Back in the day, when Pratzel’s was on Eastgate, the best bagels were available at the back door very early in the morning,” Jerry Nuell told the Jewish Light. “The aroma of the baked goods was overwhelming and definitely made for a pleasant day.”
By the 1960s, the back door had become a phenomenon, especially among two college students who would both come to work for the Jewish Light. “We did that when I was in college in the ’60s. It was a tradition,” said Elaine Bernstein Wernick, a sales rep for the Light. Editor-in-Chief Ellen Futterman added, “I remember a lot of ‘wee hour’ runs as a college freshman at Wash U to Pratzel’s back door in the Loop for warm doughnuts.”
For others who ventured to the back door, visits were equal parts mischief and delight.
“My favorite Pratzel’s memories go back to late night Saturdays, walk in the back door to the Eastgate and Delmar location. Hot bagels and so much more,” Alan Stiffelman commented on Facebook. Kathleen Rose painted the scene vividly: “Oh yeah—we’d hang out back there like a pack of slavering dogs waiting for them to throw hot rolls at us.”
Another commenter, Kathleen Rose painted the scene vividly: “Oh yeah—we’d hang out back there like a pack of slavering dogs waiting for them to throw hot rolls at us.”
End of an era: Westward Ho!
In 1979, Pratzel’s closed its iconic store at 611 Eastgate Avenue, marking the end of an era. The closure reflected the shifting demographics of St. Louis’ Jewish community, as many families moved westward.
The Pratzels adapted to this change by opening a second bakery in 1973 at 11730 Olive Boulevard, just east of Ballas Road, near the Creve Coeur firehouse. To better serve their expanding customer base, they moved their baking plant to a spacious 8,000-square-foot facility at 9263 Dielman Industrial Drive in Olivette.
In 1978, they expanded further with a retail store in University City at 928 North McKnight. For a brief time, Pratzel’s operated three locations, but the decision to close the Eastgate store brought a sense of finality to the bakery’s historic chapter in the Loop.
By the 1980s, the third generation of the Pratzel family had taken the helm. Nate’s son Ron, who had been studying English at Washington University, made a bold decision to leave school and join the family business. “My father said, ‘You’re stupid,’” Ron recalled to Hammerman in 2017. “But I always enjoyed working at the bakery.”
Ron and his wife Elaine began working full-time in 1978 and eventually purchased the business in 1983. Nate remained actively involved, frequently overseeing operations at the Dielman plant.
St. Louis Jewish Light, May 9, 1994
In 1984, the Pratzels moved their Creve Coeur store from Olive Boulevard to 727 North New Ballas Road.
The final chapters
Over the years, the focus of the bakery evolved. In its early days, the business centered on retail bread sales, but by the 1980s, pastries had taken center stage, especially their upside-down cupcakes and stollens.
“We loved the cupcakes and all the stollens,” Sherry Fishman Resh posted on Facebook. “I moved away and always bought them to bring back to my family. It is a shame no one took over the bakery.”
Those upside-down cupcakes became legendary among customers.
“Whenever someone mentions those cupcakes, I think of my Uncle Bob,” Debbie Levin Dalin wrote. “May he rest in peace, surrounded by chocolate upside-down cupcakes!”
Stollen, hamantaschen, and other holiday specialties also kept the bakery bustling. Ron estimated that his bakers made 15,000 hamantaschen each year for Purim. Pratzel’s crafted its own cherry filling, while other flavors like prune, poppy, apricot, and strawberry were purchased in bulk.
In 2004, the Pratzels consolidated operations, closing their Creve Coeur location on North New Ballas and focusing on their University City store at Jeffrey Plaza. But in 2007, they made the decision to return to Creve Coeur, moving into Simon Kohn’s Kosher Market at 10405 Old Olive Street Road.
“Ron Pratzel said there were a number of factors for the move,” recalled Harley Hammerman. “First and foremost was the opportunity to be with Kohn’s in what he thought was a mutual clientele of kosher customers. Pratzel’s had always observed the same kosher rules, like being closed for the Jewish holidays, so it seemed like a good match.”
Kohn’s became the final chapter for Pratzel’s. In early 2011, Ron and Elaine announced the bakery would close for good. Reflecting on the decision, Ron told Hammerman, “We’ve had a good long run, but we just can’t do it anymore.”
As Bob Cohn wrote in 2011 of Pratzel’s decision to close: “For Ron and Elaine Pratzel, the bakery was more than a business—it was their life. They poured their hearts into every loaf, every cupcake, and every challah, often working 12 to 15 hours a day to uphold the traditions that made Pratzel’s an essential part of St. Louis.”
The ovens may have gone cold, but the memories—and the impact—live on in the hearts of those who cherished the bakery.
Ronald B. Pratzel passed away on March 3, 2021, nearly a decade after his wife, Elaine Pratzel, who died on June 2, 2012, both leaving behind a legacy of dedication and love for their family and the St. Louis community.
