8 minute read
Made From Scratch: Oswalt Family Bakery & Cafe Serves Delicious Home-Baked Goods
Owners Leon and Dorinda Oswalt
MADE FROM SCRATCH
Oswalt Family Bakery & Cafe Serves Delicious Home-Baked Goods
Writer / Lois Tomaszewski Photographer / Timothy Hare
Walking into Oswalt Family Bakery and Café is a lot like walking into Grandma’s house on any holiday. There’s the fragrance of home-baked goods in the air, sounds of food preparation in the kitchen and someone to greet you with a friendly and welcoming smile.
Owners Leon and Dorinda Oswalt purchased the business in September 2019. The donut shop had been for sale for a couple of years before the Oswalts, who were frequent visitors to the area, bought it. They were looking for a business Dorinda could run while Leon was on the road as a truck driver. café. The goal was to add more variety and make the business have a more year-round and broader appeal to customers.
The bakery cabinet features a variety of baked goods, from cupcakes to donuts to caramel rolls. The café features weekday specials and has become well-known for its pork tenderloin, hamburgers and breakfasts, such as the giant caramel rolls, made-from-scratch biscuits and sausage gravy and the big breakfast bowl.
According to business partner and marketing manager Kris Underwood, the fresh ingredients and lack of frozen foods makes a difference in the guest experience.
“Tenderloins, burgers and breakfast are the three big kickers for us,” he says “We’ve had people drive from Ohio, Michigan and Illinois to eat here, especially for the tenderloins. Everything is homemade
or handmade.”
Tenderloins are featured as the Thursday special. Burgers are the special on Tuesday, Bacon Cheeseburgers on Wednesday and a Fish dinner or pasta special on Friday.
The food at Oswalt’s is made to order, Underwood says. That means a customer who orders a tenderloin can hear it being pounded in the kitchen. It is hand-breaded and prepared fresh. The same is true of the hamburgers, which are never frozen and the chicken strips which are cut from the breast portion.
Dorinda is no stranger to a kitchen. She has worked in food service for many years.
“I’ve worked in the food industry since I was 16,” Dorinda says. “I like taking care of people, making them happy.”
Taking care of customers and making them happy has a simple formula. The goal at
Since 1904
Follow us! 720 S Main St, North Webster, IN 46555
NEW INVENTORY PRE-OWNED FINANCING BOAT RENTALS COTTAGE RENTALS
574-453-3970 | www.patonabay.com 2 EMS T33B LN LEESBURG, IN 46538
Oswalt’s is to serve the best food possible and provide the best service a diner can get in the area, Underwood says.
“This truly is a family restaurant,” he adds. That includes the cooks, servers and others of the five employees who are part of the team. “It’s the true definition of a family restaurant.”
Underwood is not officially a member of the Oswalt family, but he could be considered that. He met Leon and Dorinda when they were campground neighbors to his parents for many years.
This dynamic results in a team that greets customers with a friendly smile, laughs with customers and helps each other out to solve problems. It was that teamwork that got the restaurant through six months of uncertainty in 2020.
Their customers are local folks and “lakers” — people who are coming in for the
If your home is warm in the summer and cold and/or if you have icicles hanging on your roof in the winter, we can help you!
In Business since 1999 serving all of Northern Indiana and lower Michigan!
We offer professional sales, installation, and service for new and existing homes as well as commercial buildings.
574.825.5271 • airtite-insulation.com • 2249 Lincoln Way East | Goshen
tenderloins, Underwood says. Summer is a busy time, but even during the business closures forced by COVID-19 it was the local community who kept things going for the Oswalts.
Instead of in-house dining, the focus was on carry-out. The Oswalt’s offered a family deal package that offered four hamburgers, four orders of fries and four drinks for $20.
Now that life for everyone is returning somewhat to the way things were preCOVID, the Oswalts and Underwood are looking to the future. The restaurant is also now offering catering.
“We want to continue to grow,” Underwood says. “We are still a new business.”
The Oswalt Family Bakery & Café is located at 720 S. Main Street (SR 13) in North Webster. For more information and hours call the restaurant at 574-834-7800.
Custom-Built Cabinets & Furniture
Kitchen Cabinets Bedroom Suites • China Hutches Bathroom Vanities • Curios & Custom Built Furniture
SOLAR WAREHOUSE SOLAR WAREHOUSE
We are Your Source for Renewable Energy Products We are Your Source for Renewable Energy Products Including... Including...
Solar Panels Batteries Solar Panels Batteries Prewired Kit for your Next Solar Project Prewired Kit for your Next Solar Project
Charge Controllers Charge Controllers Inverters Inverters Wire Wire Fuses, Breakers, Boxes Fuses, Breakers, Boxes LED Bulbs LED Bulbs Lithium Batteries Lithium Batteries Mounting Brackets Mounting Brackets Electrical Supplies Electrical Supplies Wire Terminals Wire Terminals MC4 Connectors MC4 Connectors Dealers... LET US PREWIRE YOUR PROJECTDealers... LET US PREWIRE YOUR PROJECT
WHOLESALE PREFERRED WHOLESALE PREFERRED
Large Inventory of Solar Panels in stock. Large Inventory of Solar Panels in stock. From 10 watt to 360 watt – ready to ship. From 10 watt to 360 watt – ready to ship.
0330 E 200S • LaGrange, IN 46761 0330 E 200S • LaGrange, IN 46761 260-499-3051 • fax 260-499-3082 260-499-3051 • fax 260-499-3082
ROLLING ACRES
Crushed But Not Broken was founded to help women and children in crisis domestic violence relationships, and to provide shelter and hope to women and children in domestic violence situations.
PO Box 366 Topeka, IN 46571 Crisis Line: (260) 350-3877 the farm supply store with so much more!
∙ Coal ∙ Bird Feeders & Feed ∙ Fence Supplies ∙ Big Sky Minerals By Hiland ∙ Lucky Buck Mineral ∙ Tomato Cages ∙ Tingley & Muck Boots ∙ “Yuneek” Nest Boxes ∙ Horse Feed ∙ Dog Food ∙ Lambright Aluminum Products
Marvin Bontrager ∙ 260-463-8060 x1 1575 S 00 EW ∙ LaGrange, IN 46761
Locally Made
Enclosed - Carhauler - Landscape - Dump Construction - Trailer Accessories Utility & Pontoon Trailer
511 S. Main St. Middlebury, IN 574-825-0900
www.cargo-plus.com
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram.
Let us help you create your OWN Unique piece...
dining tables | river tables | benches | coffee tables | end tables log furniture | counter tops | mirror frames | shelving | clocks
Our one-of-a-kind
live edge furniture combines rich natural colors and textures with beautiful Amish craftsmanship. Each piece is hand crafted with care and is as unique as the customer who orders it. Unique Furniture leads the Northern Indiana market in custom designed, live edge furniture, river tables, rustic log furniture and more.
River Table
Transform your living space with one of our
unique melody clocks. These clocks bring musical notes, nature sounds and elements of nature to life.
Perch Clock Special Requests... If you have your own unique or favorite slab, we will do our best to create a custom piece for you!
574-773-2846 | 11092 N 600 W Milford, IN 46542 | EMAIL uniquefurniturein@gmail.com | WEB customuniquefurniture.comTRIPLE L MARKET
Mini Pontoons & Paddle Boats
511 S. Main St., Middlebury, IN 574-825-0900 | www.cargo-plus.com
Meat, Cheese, Bulk Foods Let us be your stop for all your bulk food, bulk cheese, and fresh meats needs! We Marinate Meats!
Please give at least three days in advance for large orders and one week for bread orders.
120 S. Main • Topeka, IN • 260-593-3002
Reg. Hrs: M-F 8am-5pm, Sat. 7:30am - 2pm
ZESTY SLOW COOKER BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES
This easy slow cooker bbq pulled chicken recipe is a family favorite dinner recipe! Serve it on toasted buns with coleslaw, over nachos, on a salad or in a baked potato. It's made with simple ingredients you just throw in your crockpot: barbecue sauce, italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. It's perfect for family meals, potlucks, game day and parties.
COURSE: MAIN COURSE Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS • 4-6 chicken breasts (2-3 pounds) • 1 (12oz) bottle BBQ sauce • 3/4 cup italian dressing • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • Sandwich buns • Coleslaw (I buy the prepackaged stuff)
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place everthing into your slow cooker (except for the sandwich buns and coleslaw) and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the chicken shreds very easily.
