Long’s Bakery is a local staple known for its signature hot, glazed donuts. Carl and Mildred Long opened the bakery in January 1955 at 1453 N. Tremont Street on the city’s west side. Carl used his experience working in a German bakery to craft a new dough recipe that resulted in a lighter, fluffier yeast donut. This glazed donut continues to be the most popular item on the bakery’s menu.
The bakery itself is almost as iconic as its baked goods. Its “Hot Do-Nuts” sign is a prominent feature of 16th street. As a popular stop for out-of-towners and locals alike, it is not unusual to see a diverse group of customers lined up outside the building, waiting their turn to enter the small storefront and peruse the showcases that house cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts. A second shop opened in 1987 at 2301 E. Southport Road on the city’s south side. Both shops continue to use the same recipes created by Carl and Mildred.
The bakery has always been a family affair. When Carl retired in 1978, his children Carole Rinehart and Mike Long took over the business. Carole’s husband Mike, who began working at the bakery at 13 years old as a Glazer Boy, also helped run the bakery. By the 2020s, Carl’s grandchildren–Cindy Reine, her husband Joe, Dennis Rinehart, and Mike Rinehart took over running the bakery.
Long’s Bakery serves over a half-million customers annually, and about 75 percent of the bakery’s sales come from their donuts. They sell so many glazed, yeast donuts that they do not even put them in the showcases. Instead, employees serve the donuts directly off the racks. With so many customers, it is no wonder that Long’s donuts have received national recognition. The bakery has been featured on the Today Show, selected as one of the four top bakeries in the country by Thrillist, featured in an edition of Midwest Living Magazine, and more. In 2020, Indianapolis rapper Tevin Studdard recorded a music video dedicated to Long’s donuts that went viral on YouTube.
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