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Three Generations of Award-Winning New Orleans Bakers
In 1959, budding entrepreneur Lloyd Haydel took over the Sunny Flake Donut Shop, located on the corner of Jefferson Highway and Gelpi Avenue in Jefferson, LA, with the hope of turning it into the area's first trampoline center. The trampoline center was short-lived, and Lloyd found himself running a successful donut shop which he renamed Haydel's Sunny Flake Bakery. During this time, Lloyd's 11-year-old son, David, began to work in the donut shop after school.
In 1964, David, now 18, met Dottie Freeland, who joined the Haydel staff as a weekend counter clerk. A year later, Hurricane Betsy leveled the donut shop, along with much of the New Orleans area. Upon rebuilding the shop, the family shortened Haydel's Sunny Flake Bakery to the name it's known as today - Haydel's Bakery - and expanded their repertoire to include wedding cakes , birthday cakes, pastries and more, along with unique items like their sweet, flaky Cajun Kringle® , crunchy Cajunnolis®, and of course, their famous king cakes.
In 1968, David and Dottie were married. David continued to work at the bakery while Dottie stayed home to raise their children, David Jr. and twins Ryan and Cherie. Facing an empty nest in 1984, Dottie decided to return to the bakery to "temporarily" fill a vacant office position. She's been there "temporarily" ever since.
Three Generations of Haydels - The Family Tradition Continues
After graduating from LSU in 1997, David Jr. joined his father at the bakery. Ryan came on full-time after graduating from LSU in 2001. Both sons had worked in the bakery extensively throughout high school and college.