Zettlmeier's Bakerei is Back!

TINLEY PARK, IL — Two years after they sold it, Zettlmeier's Bakerei is back in the hands of its original owner.

The Tinley Park favorite, located at 17016 Oak Park Ave., reopened Wednesday, Oct. 12 under owner Paul Zettlmeier.

"It's with great joy that I turn this sign back on this morning!" Zettlmeier wrote on the bakery's Facebook page.

Zettlmeier sold the business in 2014, and it became known as Shea's Bakery. Recently, the new owners stepped back due to family illness.

Zettlmeier's Bakerei has been serving Tinley Park with "old school" customs and culture since the '70s. But the family's ties to the baking business reach back even further.

Paul's father, Hans, started working in his uncle’s bakery in Germany at age 12 and learned the business. In 1962, Hans moved his family to the U.S. looking for a better opportunity. His first bakery opened six years later on 58th and Pulaski in Chicago. Eventually, the bakery moved to 171st and Harlem in Tinley Park, where it aptly became known as Tinley Park Bakery. The location was in a shopping center that included a Jewel grocery store. Eventually Jewel bought the land and the Zettlmeiers found a new home for their bakery on Oak Park Avenue.

Hans' wife, Ruth, ran the front of the store, selling all of the baked goods that Hans made overnight. Today, Zettlmeier and his wife, Dee, have been delegated to the same roles.

Zettlmeier started a partnership with his parents when he was 23, learning all he could from his father. He worked under his father just as his father worked under his uncle so many years ago in Germany.

He and his wife bought his parents out in 2003 when the elder Zettlmeiers retired and moved to Las Vegas. In June 2014, Zettlmeier sold the business in order to tend to his ailing parents.

"It's been a long and difficult two years since having the privilege to serve our customers," reads a chalkboard inside the bakery. "That being said, we are VERY glad to be back! We at Zettlmeier's want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope to be your choice for the future!"

Hours will be Wednesday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sundays 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.