The rich, sweet and slightly savory notes of a Lane’s Bakery kringle are unmistakable. The “smear” inside each one — for example, cherry — combines with a thin layer of icing icing on top to create a surprisingly deep and complex bite. That “smear,” according to Tim Lee, is the secret ingredient and key to Lane’s kringles. It’s what makes them special, he said.
Lee was as astonished and heartbroken as anyone when he learned Lane’s Bakery was closing in 2023. The bakery was 69 years old at that point, and beloved. Lee said he inquired about purchasing the business, but staffing concerns and the overhead involved gave him pause.
“I couldn’t take it over ‘as is’ because I think we would have failed,” Lee said.
With Christina Sutherland, Lee co-owns Innovation Eats, the parent company of TnT’s Catering and Capital Popcorn. He didn’t see a traditional path to keeping Lane’s Bakery open, but couldn’t get the bakery out of his head…