Taste history at Erie’s 5 longest running bakeries and markets

Growing up in Erie, I developed a deep, nostalgic relationship with food. The food that means the most to me isn’t fancy food or fussy food, but the food of childhood memories. The origins of these meals came from our ancestors, whether they arrived on boats from Italy, Ireland, Germany, or Eastern Europe. If you grew up here like me, you know that Erie’s oldest bakeries and neighborhood markets are where to find the good stuff. These institutions are time capsules, historical landmarks (whether officially or unofficially), and community centers all rolled into one.

Before grocery delivery apps and grab-and-go everything, Erie’s families relied on these mom-and-pop staples both for everyday meals and to make the holidays special. Many of these shops have been in operation for generations, passing recipes and a sense of neighborhood pride down through the decades. 

Since we’re all getting ready to plan our holiday feasts, I’m more than happy to share Erie’s oldest bakeries and markets still standing strong today, reminding us why buying local really matters. Whether you’re craving the perfect Italian rolls that taste like your grandmother’s, or the perfect hand-butchered cuts of meat, these spots deliver. Take it from someone who lived here for 25 years and still dreams about pepperoni balls: the heart of Erie will always be found in the places that have fed us for generations.

Photo courtesy of The Farm Bakery & Events

Majestic Bakery (1915)

Majestic Baking Company in Erie, Pennsylvania, is a deeply rooted piece of the city’s culinary history. The building on Walnut Street dates back to 1887, and the bakery itself has been in continuous operation since around 1915.  Over the decades, the site became a pillar of Erie’s Little Italy neighbourhood, serving generations of locals with its breads and baked goods. 

When the bakery’s original owners decided to step away, the ovens briefly cooled in early 2019, raising concerns that the landmark might close.  But the business was acquired later that year by a new ownership team, who committed to preserving the historic brick-oven facility and the bakery’s legacy while updating its artisanal approach.  Under the current stewardship — operated as Majestic Baking Company Erie LLC — the team led by Cam Spaeder and partner Sarah M.K. Moody revived the operation with a focus on craft breads, sourdough loaves, and a modern-artisan interpretation of the bakery’s longstanding tradition. 

As for what they serve, the focus has shifted to artisan breads made with a return to simpler ingredient lists: flour, water, salt, and starter. While the classic White Italian loaf that generations of Erie diners knew is still part of the catalogue, the bakery now offers sourdough flavours such as dark-chocolate cherry, jalapeño cheddar, sesame baguettes, rye loaves, and pinwheels with pepperoni and cheese or roasted red peppers. They also still honor the Italian-loaf heritage and the role the bakery played in the many local restaurants and shops in its neighborhood.

Majestic Baking Company is a heritage bakery in Erie that has evolved with new owners into a contemporary artisan bread shop while preserving the historic roots of Little Italy’s baking tradition. If you’re looking for the perfect holiday breads, you can find them at Majestic, located at 1501 Walnut Street. Keep in mind that hours at artisan bakeries can be subject to change (especially given their small-batch production model), so it’s a good idea to call ahead if you’re planning a visit.

Sontheimer’s Country Bakery (1920)

Sontheimer’s Country Bakery in Erie has a heritage that stretches back more than a century. The bakery was first established in 1920 by Joseph Sontheimer, who laid the foundations of what the family describes today as a “longstanding legacy in the Erie community.”  After years of serving customers at different neighborhood shops—including an earlier location at West 31st & Cherry Streets—the bakery relocated to its current site on Sterrettania Road in 1983, under the leadership of Robert Sontheimer II. Over the decades, the business has remained family-owned and operated, with the Sontheimer family’s fifth generation now at the helm. 

The bakery specializes in a wide variety of traditional baked goods that reflect both family recipes and regional tastes. On its website, the bakery highlights breads and rolls, cookies, danish, desserts, “kukas” (streusel-topped pastries), sweet rolls, and pies. Some signature items include chocolate chip cookies, custard-filled cream puffs, orange crescent pastries, semi-hard rolls, bear claws, chocolate cupcakes, Lady Baltimore white cakes, and raspberry danishes. Customers praise the bakery for its “homemade” feel, the friendly family service, and a selection of treats that include flash-favorites like orange crescents and German-style donuts. 

This multi-generational family bakery preserves traditional recipes and still operates with the charm and pace of a “neighborhood” bakery rather than a large chain. Sontheimer’s is located at 3720 Sterrettania Road. They are closed on Sunday and Monday and currently accept only cash or checks; credit and debit cards are not accepted. 

Serafin’s Food Market (1926)

Serafin’s Food Market is a beloved fixture in Erie’s landscape, often described as the city’s oldest continuously operating grocery store. The business traces its roots to 1926, when Lawrence and Mary Serafin looked for the right neighborhood and settled on the corner of East 24th and Ash Street—a location that straddled Polish and German immigrant settlements at the time. Over the decades, the store has maintained its role as a neighborhood grocery hub, adapting to changing times while preserving its identity as a local market deeply connected to community traditions.

Today, Serafin’s offers a full range of grocery products, including fresh produce, meats, deli items, a bakery section, pantry staples, and carry-out or catering service. Their website highlights in-house catering options (sandwich and snack trays, veggie and antipasto platters) and emphasizes that many items are prepared on site.  The store continues to serve a local clientele with a “home-made touch” ethos, preserving its heritage while operating as a modern neighborhood market.  

Ownership remains with the Serafin family, with owner Daniel Serafin and his team as active stewards of the store, maintaining family involvement and neighborhood presence.  You can visit the store at 601 East 24th Street. If you’re planning to stop by during this busy season, it’s always a good idea to check for any holiday-hour adjustments.

Urbaniak Bros (mid 1930s)

Urbaniak Brothers Quality Meats in Erie is a venerable, family-owned meat market and deli that has been serving the community since the mid-1930s. The business was founded by brothers Bernard (Ben), Chester (Chet), Edward, and Ted Urbaniak in the old 12th Street Market House, which was their first location. After the 12th Street Market House burned in 1951, the business moved to the Central Market House at 16th and State Street. In the late 1950s, the Urbaniak brothers decided to build their own space, choosing 24th and German Streets in Erie for what became their permanent home. The current location has been in operation since December 1958.

At Urbaniak Brothers, you’ll find a full-service meat market and deli, with an emphasis on smoked and cured meats made in-house and traditional Polish offerings. Their product lineup includes fresh sausage (traditional Polish, garlic, hot varieties), house-smoked bacon and salmon, deli lunch meats sliced fresh daily, house-made hams, blood sausage (“kiszka”), beef jerky, assorted cheeses cut to order, and a produce section with fresh fruits and vegetables.  They also carry jarred goods like pickled beets, chow-chow, apple butter, and sauces.

Ownership remains in the Urbaniak family, with the current generation—brothers Gerry and Andy Urbaniak—steering the business. Gerry points out that the meat counter and deli area still feel much like they did when their father, Chet Urbaniak, moved into the 24th & German building decades ago. The family emphasizes continuity: they follow what Gerry calls the family “Bible”—a grease-stained recipe book passed down through generations of the business, ensuring that the flavor and quality of their meats remain consistent. 

Urbaniak Brothers Quality Meats at 310 East 24th Street has maintained a strong footprint in Erie for nearly a century. Its success has been anchored by family tradition and a craft-meats ethos that reflects both the city’s Polish heritage and the local community’s loyalty.

Art’s Bakery (1950)

Art’s Bakery in located in West Millcreek, is a family‐owned institution whose roots go back to 1950, when Arthur “Art” Evans returned from World War II and opened a grocery store that would evolve into the bakery known today. Initially, “Art’s Grocery” was established on West 26th Street, but as times changed and the grocery model became less viable, the business pivoted toward baking. Arthur’s son, Gordon Evans, took over the business in 1989 and refocused it on baked goods, including cookies, pies, rolls, breads, and other essentials of a hometown bakery. Meanwhile, he also modernized the space while maintaining that local-neighborhood feel. 

Over the decades, Art’s Bakery became known for its scratch-made tradition, using old-school methods and recipes curated for quality and consistency. They became locally celebrated for items like chocolate-chip cookies, elderberry pies, baked pepperoni-balls (rather than fried), and sweet breads such as Swedish rye.  

In November 2022, Gordon Evans put the business up for sale, and by March 2023, the bakery was purchased by a local couple, Todd Sutton and Cori Sutton, both Erie natives and with a personal connection to the bakery (Cori had worked there in her teenage years). The Suttons retained the existing staff and committed to preserving the bakery’s legacy while planning additional services like online ordering and pickup. 

Today, Art’s Bakery maintains its flagship location at 4380 West Ridge Road in Millcreek and has added a second location at 4625 Buffalo Road in Harborcreek. While their headline items remain cookies, pies, pastries, and sweet breads, the bakery also houses a deli counter and grocery offerings, so it continues to serve as a community food destination rather than just a bakery. 

Art’s Bakery has evolved from its grocery-shop beginnings through decades of family ownership into a modern yet still nostalgic bakery-deli-grocery hybrid, under the stewardship of the Sutton family today, with a strong local reputation and accessible hours for both weekday and weekend visitors.