Our Story

Original Owners, Hans & Traudy Birkner

Hans' Bakery was the American dream of German immigrants, Hans and Traudy Birkner. Although, Hans brought his traditional recipes over from the 'old country,' he quickly realized that they would need to be modified to satisfy the American sweet tooth. After achieving success at two other local bakeries, Hans came across a former fast food building in Anoka, Minnesota that was perfectly positioned between two schools, on bustling 5th Avenue. Soon after, Hans' Bakery was born!

From the day it opened in 1973, Hans' was a family affair. The Birkner children still tell stories of cleaning under the bakery cases when they were small enough to fit underneath them. It didn't take long for the neighborhood to become "family" too. Local men and women gathered around large round tables for coffee and a slice of Hans' famous German Beehive, while children rushed in to grab a their favorite Texas doughnuts before class.

In 1998, after decades of ownership, Hans Birkner passed away suddenly. In the years that followed bakery changed hands while the new owners struggled to keep up with grocery chains and big box retailers that had moved into the area. By 2010 the crowds had vanished and Hans' Bakery fell into foreclosure. The loss to the community was so great that the Anoka Historical Society even kept some of the Bakery's dishes for historical reference.