Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ: Difference between revisions

'''Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ''', also formatted as '''Erick Schat's Bakery''', is a bakery in [[Bishop, California]]. It is known for its extensive bread production and its status as a pit stop to travelers along [[U.S. Route 395|US 395]] in the [[Eastern Sierra]] region.<ref name="latmam">{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Christopher |date=2022-07-01 |title=Winter in Mammoth is great, but summer is when it shines |url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2022-07-01/summer-mammoth-things-to-do |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110055343/https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2022-07-01/summer-mammoth-things-to-do |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="latnew">{{Cite web |last=Erskine |first=Chris |date=2014-08-20 |title=In Bishop, Calif., a new Schat's opens up the dining options |url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-a-new-schats-eatery-opens-in-bishop-20140808-story.html |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=July 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706181310/https://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-a-new-schats-eatery-opens-in-bishop-20140808-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, it received 2.5 million visitors.<ref name="esn">{{Cite web |date=2021-10-04 |title=A Local Legend Passes Away: Erick Schat was 79 • Eastern Sierra Now |url=https://www.easternsierranow.com/a-local-legend-passes-away-erick-schat-was-79/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=Eastern Sierra Now |language=en-US |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111055505/https://www.easternsierranow.com/a-local-legend-passes-away-erick-schat-was-79/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The original bakery was started by the Schoch family from [[Vienna]] in 1903. Basque sheepherders had the Schochs build a stone oven to bake their sheepherder bread and keep it fresh while they were out tending their flocks. Jacob "Jack" Schat, immigrated to the U.S. from [[Utrecht]] in the Netherlands in 1950, subsequently finding work at the Schoch's bakery in Bishop.<ref name="sw">{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Deb |date=2021-10-04 |title=Local Business Icon Erick Schat Has Passed Away - Sierra Wave |url=https://sierrawave.net/71536-2/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=Sierra Wave |language=en-US |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111055506/https://sierrawave.net/71536-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Baking in his family went as far back as 1893.<ref name="kbov">{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Gary |date=2021-10-05 |title=Bishop Bakery Patriarch Erick Schat Dies at 79 |url=https://www.kibskbov.com/2021/10/bishop-bakery-patriarch-erick-schat-dies-at-79/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=[[KBOV]] |language=en-US |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809131003/https://www.kibskbov.com/2021/10/bishop-bakery-patriarch-erick-schat-dies-at-79/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He eventually bought the bakery and had six children, including Erick, the shop's namesake and owner until he died in 2021.<ref name="legacy">{{Cite web |date=2021-10-14 |title=Erick Schat Obituary (1942 - 2021) - Bishop, CA - Inyo Register |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/inyoregister/name/erick-schat-obituary?id=30319370 |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=[[Legacy.com]] |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111055505/https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/inyoregister/name/erick-schat-obituary?id=30319370 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bakery became more well-known when the family sold wholesale goods to 2,000 grocery stores in [[Greater Los Angeles]], including [[Safeway]], [[Vons]], and [[Albertsons]].<ref name="dbleg"/>

The family expanded their operations by opening David Schat's Bakery Cafe and Aaron Schat's [[roadhouse (premises)|Roadhouse]] in October 2011 in [[El Segundo, California|El Segundo]] and August 2014 in Bishop, respectively. The bakery cafe is more of a small version of the original, and closed in December 2012, after only a year of service due to a lack of customers.<ref name="dbclose">{{Cite web |last=Agostoni |first=Kristin |date=2012-12-22 |title=Schat’s Bakery Cafe closure adds to key retail vacancies in downtown El Segundo |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/20121222/schats-bakery-cafe-closure-adds-to-key-retail-vacancies-in-downtown-el-segundo/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=[[Daily Breeze]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The roadhouse serves various sandwiches on bread from the bakery and is still open as of 2024.<ref name="dbleg"/><ref name="latnew"/><ref name="dbbranch"/> There are also locations in [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]], Utah, and Ontario. All of the bakeries under the Schat "brand" are not part of a franchise; they are only owned by members of the same family.<ref name="pg">{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Jenny |date=2012-02-16 |title=Schat’s Bakery Comes to Southern California |url=https://pepperdine-graphic.com/schats-bakery-comes-to-southern-california/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=Pepperdine Graphic |language=en-US |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111055505/https://pepperdine-graphic.com/schats-bakery-comes-to-southern-california/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[California Gold Rush]] by [[Basques|Basque]] immigrants in 1907 who missed their home country's bread.<ref name="fodors">{{Cite web |title=Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ Review |url=https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/california/the-mojave-desert/restaurants/reviews/erick-schats-bakkery-159131 |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=[[Fodor's]] |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111055505/https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/california/the-mojave-desert/restaurants/reviews/erick-schats-bakkery-159131 |url-status=live }}</ref> They hand-shaped the loaves and used [[masonry oven|stone ovens]] when producing it. This practice is continued by the bakery when making their bread. It is made from "butter, grade AA eggs, unbleached flour, cane sugar, and artesian well water." It was [[trademark]]ed in 1938.<ref name="official">{{Cite web |title=Official website |url=https://schatsbakery.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607231010/https://schatsbakery.com/wp/ |archive-date=2023-06-07 |access-date=2024-01-09}}</ref>

The bakery also sells many other varieties of bread and pastries, including squaw, cinnamon pull-apart [[brioche]]s, [[turnover (food)|turnover]]s, [[éclair]]s, [[sourdough]], ''[[oliebol]]'', [[macaron]]s, plain cheese, and chili-cheese.<ref name="dbbranch">{{Cite web |last=Shindler |first=Merrill |date=2012-07-26 |title=Merrill Shindler: Beloved Schat’s Bakery branches out |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/arts-and-entertainment/20120726/merrill-shindler-beloved-schats-bakery-branches-out/ |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=[[Daily Breeze]] |language=en-US |archive-date=July 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706181311/https://www.dailybreeze.com/2012/07/26/merrill-shindler-beloved-schats-bakery-branches-out/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="coronado">{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Kris |date=2022-07-18 |title=On The Road Again ... Traveling 395 through the Eastern Sierras |url=http://www.coronadonewsca.com/news/coronado_island_news/on-the-road-again-traveling-395-through-the-eastern-sierras/article_7953d56e-06f4-11ed-9d65-5b74dd7cad0e.html |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=Coronado Eagle & Journal |language=en |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111055505/http://www.coronadonewsca.com/news/coronado_island_news/on-the-road-again-traveling-395-through-the-eastern-sierras/article_7953d56e-06f4-11ed-9d65-5b74dd7cad0e.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="rv">{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Jake |title=Crossroads: Erick Schat's Bakkery |url=https://www.rv.com/archive/crossroads-erick-schats-bakkery/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=RV.com |language=en-US |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111055505/https://www.rv.com/archive/crossroads-erick-schats-bakkery/ |url-status=live }}</ref>