A long-standing Holyoke bakery and coffee shop in the mid to late 20th century was Duncan MacLean's.
Duncan "Scotty" MacLean had an extensive baking history before going into business for himself. He was in charge of pastry and baking at Harvard College from 1930 to 1935, Holy Cross College from 1935 to 1937, and Mount Holyoke College from 1937 to 1944.
He enjoyed several seasons as a pastry chef at the Flamingo Hotel in Miami, Florida, and the Poland Springs House in Maine. His most recent position before opening his bakery was spent at Toto's Restaurant on Route 5 in Holyoke.
On January 3, 1953, he assumed ownership of Mrs. Gibbs Candy and Pastry Shoppe at 425 High Street. He operated the bakery briefly under the same name, but in 1953, the name was changed to Duncan MacLean's Pastry Shop. There were over 20 bakeries in Holyoke at the time, according to the 1953 Holyoke City Directory.
In April 1958, the bakery outgrew the space at 425 High Street and moved down two doors to 415 High Street. This provided over 50% more square footage to operate his expanding business. Mr. MacLean invested $30,000 in remodeling this new space.
In 1960 he celebrated seven years in business and had eighteen employees.
Tragedy struck on July 13, 1961, when a significant fire, smoke, and water damage destroyed the businesses within the building. This included Duncan Maclean's Pastry Shop, the Hal Lally School of Dance, the Laundry Center, the Cabot Printing Co., Queen Bedding Co., and Salem Horn Furniture.
Within six weeks, Duncan MacLean purchased the Curran Building, also known as the Marcelle Building, at 290 High Street, adjacent to the Daniel F. Waters Stationery Store. This location again provided more space than the previous one. A bakery and coffee bar were planned for the first floor, with baking to occur on the second floor. This allowed room for expansion in the uppermost floors.
The new bakery opened on November 14, 1961, and employed about twenty-five people. Later that year, in an editorial, the Holyoke Transcript-Telegram indicated the opening of Duncan Maclean's Pastry Shop and Coffee Bar "may well be the start of a renaissance of the High St. area."
On July 14, 1984, Duncan MacLean's Pastry and Coffee Bar closed. The owner had sold the building to buyers who intended to create office space. It would no longer be a bakery, and an auction to sell the equipment and fixtures was scheduled for August 1984. Earlier in 1984, Mr. MacLean stated that only six Holyoke bakeries remained in business.
Source of News articles: Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript-Telegram; Publication dates as shown.
Photo Credit: Facebook: Growing Up In Holyoke
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