The broad building with the defunct clock tower on the east side of Flatbush Avenue just south of the Prospect Park entrance at Ocean Avenue is the former Bond Bread factory (slogan: Bond Makes Good Bread) whose baking aromas used to suffuse the neighborhood, greeting Brooklyn Dodgers fans en route to Ebbets Field. It was a bakery from 1925, when it was built, to the 1960s. While the ground floor houses a retailer/wholesaler, the rest of the building awaits restoration.
12 comments
I worked around the corner on Empire Blvd starting in the early 1970s. It was a commercial bakery then (maybe not Bond any longer, though the Bond sign was still on the tower), and continued baking probably into the 1980s or later.
Bond factory closed as bakery in late 1972 or early 1973. I save a rolling pin from their final clean-out. Imagine a bread factory these days even owning a huge wooden rolling pin!
NO, I bought my house nearby in 1974 and fondly remember the smell of bread baking the first severak years I jived in the neighborhood.
I grew up across the street on Lincoln Road and Flatbush Ave in the corner building and remember smelling the bread baking and going to their thrift store.
Thanks to ‘forgotten ny’, I’ve seen the bakery where my father was a truck driver,back in the 40’s. There must have been something wrong with the rear doors ’cause every once in a while,a big ol’ bag of bread and rolls would fall off the back of the truck.(so the story goes),and end up being shared by our neighbors. i think we lived on Foster Ave.at the time. Thank you,Forgotten NY.
My father delivered for Bond also. But we lived in Richmond Hill, Queens. The factory was on 91st Ave just off 102nd St and we lIves on 93rd. My dads truck hit a similar bump on occasion!! The whole neighborhood smelled like bread unless the wind changed and then it smaller like coffee coming from Dallas Bros on Atlantic Avenue.
My grandfather starting delivering bread by horse and buggie, he retired from Bond bread as the manager for years in the Bronx.. Rudolf Pruser
My grandfather starting delivering bread by horse and buggie, he retired from Bond bread as the manager for years in the Bronx.. Rudolf Pruser
I remember on Friday my Mother would buy cakes from the store in the build where they would sale day old bread, cakes, & doughnuts. Also when going to school the subway doors would open at the Prospect Park station and the scent of all the cakes & doughnuts baking would fill the subway cars Thanks for the memories
I use to work for Bond Bread in Richmond Hill Queens NY as a comptometer operator in the office. The smell of the brad baking was so tasty. After I moved to Patchogue LI NY I worked in the office there also. That was back in late 1960’s. My father in law was a delivery driver for them in Norfolk VA.
My Grandfather worked there at the Brooklyn branch for years as a baker. After WW2, my Dad worked as a driver and eventually was promoted to General Manager. Unfortunately my Grandfather developed flour emphysema due to breathing in flour all those years, he died in 1961. By the mid 1960s Supermarkets were becoming popular and Bond Bread was suffering from the competition. Deliveries were dropping and affected many jobs. After 25 years working at Bond Bread, my Dad had to seek other work.
Our father worked for Bond Bread too. Not sure of the years he worked but he was a truck driver and made local delivery’s. I remember going to the Bond Bread Bakery to see Hopalong Cassidy and his horse Topper. In the 1950’s. He and his horse were inside the building promoting Bond Bread. Many that worked there took their kids
to see them in person. Does anyone else remember this event? I don’t remember any photo’s being taken of us there, but I’m sure some kids parent’s had some taken. We would love the small loafs of un sliced bread that he bought home once in a while. Came in a tall brown paper bag. Not sliced or wrapped but still the same great. Another memory was of him bringing home the biggest Chocolate Easter Bunny that he said he was given by a well know Candy store that he delivered too. It had a very big base that was solid and much too much for us to eat. My Mom would cut it up and give bags to the friends we had on the block. The bunny was about three feet tall and the chocolate was delicious. It lasted long after Easter. My Mom would chop it up and put in the fridge and always shared with other children on the block.