Royal Opportunity in Centerville

Aug 10, 2016

Our July/August issue includes a story on the Royal Bake Shop, a Centerville mainstay currently for sale. Bernie Hunhoff took several photos at the bakery this spring. Here are some that didn’t make the magazine.

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Dale Merritt opened the main street business in 1946.
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Janine and Keith Ellis, both Centerville natives, bought the Royal Bake Shop from Merritt in 1993.
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Their signature donut is the 99-cent Zebra, which is trademarked by the state of South Dakota. Keith describes the Zebra as a marbled donut with fudge frosting and glaze.
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On a normal Saturday, the Ellises bake an average of 1,000 donuts.
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They run a robust business that includes deliveries to several surrounding towns, and serve coffee and donuts in their shop.
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Though business is booming, the Ellises are ready to sell. “I want to go out on top of our game,” Keith says.
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All the breads, pastries and rolls are still made with the founder’s recipes, some dating from the early 1900s.
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The Ellises say they will work with the next owners for two months free of charge to teach them the finer points of Zebras and their other sweet treats.