West bakery that was the first to sell kolaches in Texas is re-opening soon
After seven years of being out of service, the West bakery known for creating the Texas kolache tradition has a reopening date and a new coffee counter.
The Village Bakery in West, Texas – the Czech Heritage Capital of Texas – was the first in the state to sell the sausage wrapped in dough 74 years ago. Kolaches are what put the town of West on the map.
After Village Bakery owner Mimi Montgomery Irwin died in 2019, the bakery suddenly closed and sat desolate on Oak Street. Then, Shelly and Darell Miller bought it in 2024.
The Millers have been McLennan County residents for 25 years. They own and operate the Village Shoppe clothing boutique across the street, which they also bought from the Montgomery family in 2018.
Brittney Ready opened Ready Brew, the coffee shop next door to Village Shoppe, in 2019. She closed the doors in 2023 after she and the Millers decided Ready Brew coffee would be a counter at Village Bakery.
The Village Bakery and Ready Brew will reopen at 113 E Oak St. in West on Saturday, May 23 at 8 a.m.
Village Bakery is reopening, but is it the same?
When the Montgomerys ran the shop, they referred to kolache recipes from a 1879 Czech cookbook.
Miller said when she and her husband bought the bakery, they also bought the original family recipes.
“Some veterans who are in their 90s, original Czech men, said they [kolaches] taste just like the 50s,” Ready told the Star-Telegram.
The menu will be the exact same with their signature kolaches, and also cookies, cinnamon rolls, pineapple cream cheese rolls, pecan rolls, cinnamon twists, peanut butter twists, and pineapple twists.
Ready told the Star-Telegram that they tried to keep Village Bakery to its original look.
“There’s original stuff on the walls, the original bakery cases,” said Ready. “The tables that the [Montgomery] family sat at every morning, they’re all the same as well.”
The only big renovations involved commercial kitchen updates, building the coffee bar and adding a public restroom.
Kolache competition in the Czech Heritage Capital of Texas
West is home to multiple kolache spots. Nors Bakery, which opened in the 70s, was rebranded as Gerik’s Ole Czech Bakery & Deli shortly after Nors owner Richard Nors retired in 1986. The bakery is located at 511 W Oak St. t
The 43-year-old Czech Stop is still chugging at 105 N. College Ave. selling kolaches with sausage, ham and fruit fillings.
Village Bakery was founded in 1952. So it is, in fact, the first bakery to sell kolaches in Texas.