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Discover the History and Legacy of Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakeries: A Beloved Bakery and Restaurant Chain
Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakeries was a beloved bakery and restaurant chain that operated in the western United States for decades. Founded in 1915 in Los Angeles as a potato chip stand by Theodore Van de Kamp, along with his sisters Marian and Henrietta and Henrietta’s husband Lawrence Frank, the business quickly expanded to include baked goods. By the mid-1950s, the company had grown to operate 320 locations along the West Coast, including restaurants and bakeries.
One of the most distinguishing features of Van de Kamp’s was their iconic blue windmills, which appeared on bakery store signs and atop their chain of restaurants. The company’s slogan was “Made Clean, Kept Clean, Sold Clean,” which capitalized on the association with Dutch cleanliness and freshness.
In 1930, the company built a large bakery and administrative offices in Glassell Park, Los Angeles. The Van de Kamp Bakery Building was designed by New York architect J. Edwin Hopkins. Following the death of Theodore Van de Kamp in 1956, the bakery was acquired by General Baking Co. The company was sold to private investors in 1979, and closed in bankruptcy in 1990.
Despite its closure, the Van de Kamp’s brand remains a beloved part of many people’s memories. Former Los Angeles County District Attorney and State Attorney General John K. Van de Kamp is a nephew of the bakery’s co-founders. Under the direction of Lawrence Frank, the Frank and Van de Kamp families also founded Lawry’s Restaurants and the Tam O’Shanter Inn.
Today, the Van de Kamp’s brand is owned by Pinnacle Foods, Inc. The brand is also used by Ralphs and sister company Food 4 Less supermarket chains for their line of private-label baked goods.
Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakeries was a beloved bakery and restaurant chain that operated in the western United States for decades. Despite its closure in 1990, the brand remains a cherished part of many people’s memories and is still used today for private-label baked goods.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_de_Kamp%27s_Holland_Dutch_Bakeries
https://stmdailynews.com/stm-daily-news-vlog/
