PHOENIX — A longtime European-American bakery will be closing its doors at the end of the week after a three-decade run in north Phoenix.
Founder Karl Boerner immigrated from Europe nearly 50 years ago and his wife, Stefanie, came from Austria.
The two met in California before moving to Phoenix where they opened the first location of Karl’s Quality Bakery in the Sunnyslope area in 1994.
“This is the only place that kind of reminded me of home because people talk to each other. It’s a small-knit community,” Stefanie Boerner said. “From day one when we opened, the support we had, I, I cannot describe it.”
They have since moved to a second location but stayed in the same neighborhood.
“He had a family to feed and he knew how to bake and there was a space available,” daughter Christine Boerner said. “He made it happen.”
Christine grew up in the shop and said she never thought she’d work there. However, after studying confections where her father worked in Switzerland, she returned to take over the family business.
She tells ABC15 the community has become her family for over 30 years.
“You can see they’re an amazing support system and everybody comes here. Everybody knows everybody,” Christine said. “It’s beautiful.”
The store will be closing on March 31.
“Thirty years is a long time and we’ve been thinking about it and my daughter, for her, it would be difficult to run it all by herself,” Stefanie said. “I need to fade out.”
Since the announcement, Sunnyslope community members have come out in full force to support the business and thank the family for a job well done.
“It’s really a gathering place for Sunnyslope locals and as well as people come from all over the Valley,” customer and former temporary employee Jennifer Kabrud said. “The whole family has been great friends to a lot of people in the community so it’s going to be very missed.”
The business is handing the keys to another local, family-owned bakery, trading European treats for New York eats.
In the meantime, Stefanie says she’s grateful for a community that became their bread and butter.
“Thank you,” Stefanie said. “I don’t know how to express my gratitude to everybody, how they all have supported us through those 30 years, ups and downs.”
