Duke Bakery Celebrates 75 Years in Alton
ALTON - Duke Bakery marked its 75th anniversary on July 1, 2026, at Haskell Park during the “250 on the Mississippi” Festival, where city officials proclaimed Duke Bakery Day in Alton and the business introduced its new “Duke on the Go” mobile trailer.
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The celebration featured a ceremonial cutting of a 75-foot-long cake, along with live music, contests and patriotic activities. The event highlighted the bakery’s long history in the community.
Mayor David Goins proclaimed July 1, 2026, as Duke Bakery Day in Alton in a public reading at the festival.
“We are super excited to be here with Great Rivers and Routes and the City of Alton with a 75-foot anniversary cake feature and Duke on the Go beverages and the Bakery Trailer,” said Ben Hollis, an owner of Duke Bakery.
Hollis credited the July 1 event organizers, saying, “Great Rivers and Routes organized this event and did a great job.” He also described the atmosphere surrounding the celebration, saying people turned out for a bike parade around the Middletown neighborhood and gathered for activities including a doughnut-eating contest.
“People were pumped to see how many doughnuts they could put down,” Hollis said. “We wanted to make this the year of nostalgia.”
Michael Doucleff, president of Duke Bakery, reflected on the company’s history and its future.
“Obviously, it was a long time ago when I was 6 years old and from the beginning, with the soda business, then it went to the bakery business and took off. We have had a beautiful past, but the future is even brighter with Ben and Amy,” Doucleff said.
Reflecting at Haskell Park, Doucleff said. "I can remember going to Haskell Park as a kid and sledding downhill during the winter and playing golf around the Rose Garden. Being here today, I see many of our past customers, who have always been loyal.”
Hollis and Doucleff said the bakery’s longevity comes down to "community support."
“The one answer to how the business has survived as long as it has is the community,” Hollis said. “Without the support of the community, Duke Bakery wouldn’t be here. It is more about the city we are blessed to live and do business in.”
Joseph Blair, a customer who said he has been connected to the bakery as both a neighbor and customer for 50 years, praised the business during the anniversary event.
“I have been connected as neighbor and customer 50 years; Duke Bakery is a classic middle American bakery, maintaining the quality and service of a good small business for multiple generations. That is becoming a lost thing in this country. Amy and Ben Hollis have upgraded the bakery. It is a really nice business.”
