Good news: The Windmill Marathon & Bakery, known for its handmade doughnuts, is back in business. Closed since late 2015, the fuel station and bakery reopened at the same location — 6801 U.S. 41 N. — in June. Hot doughnuts began emerging from the oven in August.
“It’s something we’ve wanted for years,” co-owner Quinn Ferderber says of reopening his wife’s family business, which first made its debut in the late 1980s. “It was the right place, right time. Just family this time.”
His father-in-law, Rodney Schutz, remains the man behind the bakery. His workday starts at midnight, and he bakes through the early morning so fresh doughnuts are ready by 6 a.m. The most popular are the “big foots” — doughnuts in the size and shape of a foot — and chocolate-topped cinnamon buns, with long johns, crullers, apple fritters, jelly-filled bismarcks, cinnamon twists, and more filling out the menu. Hot lunch options include sandwiches, burgers, and pizza. The bakery operates through noon; the gas station and store are open 24 hours.
Eager customers include Sarah Wiser, who frequently visited before The Windmill closed. “It’s like it used to be,” she says. “The chocolate icing is the best. You can’t get that anywhere else.” Amber Gurtz was “very” excited to return Oct. 16 with her three children. “My father would bring me here,” she recalls. She ordered her favorite: a chocolate-topped cinnamon bun.
“It feels good to know people appreciate what we’re doing here,” Ferderber says. “We want this location to remain open for years to come.”
