Jarosch Bakery celebrates 60 years in Elk Grove Village

An Elk Grove Village bakery that sold its first loaf of bread not long after the village's official founding is celebrating its 60th anniversary this week with specials on some of its old-fashioned favorites.

Jarosch Bakery opened Oct. 15, 1959, in what was the new Park & Shop strip mall at Arlington Heights and Higgins roads, just as the newly-established suburb was beginning to grow. The bakery is in the same spot today, but it's also expanded several times to include more room for the customer and counter area and back-of-shop production space.

For half its storied history, current owners Ken and Kathy Jarosch have been involved in the family business after previous careers as engineers for McDonnell Douglas. Ken's parents, Herb and Betty, started the bakery with the help of George Jarosch, Herb's dad, who immigrated from Germany in 1925.

Some of the nostalgic baked goods on sale include sour cream cheesecake slices, which were discontinued about two decades ago, but are back for all of October. In addition to daily specials that have been offered since Monday, weekly specials conclude Saturday, offering discounts on select tortes, cakes, cupcakes and napoleons.