Rheinlander Bakery Has Created Some of the Best European Pastries in Denver for Over 50 Years

Since 1963 Rheinlander Bakery has served some of the best European pastries in the Denver area. Formerly known as Dimmer’s Bakery, it is still owned by the same German family after being passed down over the years and is currently run by husband and wife duo Ed and Maro Dimmer. “Some customers can still remember Ed manning the bakery counter when he was just nine years old,” stated Maro.

The family-run bakery has gone through many changes over the years yet remains true to its European origins. Walk within a few hundred feet of the bakery and the smell of freshly baked pastries is sure to bring you in the door. Maro said, “We tried to differentiate ourselves. Unlike in-store bakeries, we bake everything from scratch. Here we make our own cake batters, our own doughs, our own fillings, everything.” The hard work has not gone unnoticed either — Rheinlander bakery has ranked number one for the Denver A List Best Bakery category every year since 2012.

Rheinlander Bakery

With traditional European items like strudel, kuchen, Persian rolls and Irish soda bread they please their customers who crave an authentic European pastry but also have an array of gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and vegan options for those with dietary restrictions. “We’ve continued all of the traditional European pastries that his parents made and enhanced them over the years,” commented Maro.

When Maro was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and celiac disease in the early 2000s they started experimenting with healthier alternatives to sugar and wheat followed by dairy-free and vegan options more recently. She said, “We evolve by addressing what our customers ask us for.” Luckily there is a test kitchen upstairs where Ed is able to “play with a different alphabet of baking… Alternative flours, sugars, everything.” Through their open-air kitchen with a separated gluten-free area Ed and Maro have essentially created a “bakery within a bakery.”

Rheinlander Bakery

As the first president of Historic Olde Town Arvada and a current member of the Arvada Economic Development Association Board of Directors, Maro is extremely involved in the local community. Rheinlander participates in multiple fundraisers throughout the year to help support charities like the Ralston House, Jefferson Center for Mental Health and the American Red Cross. The Pinwheels and Cupcakes fundraiser with the Ralston House is coming up this April and last year they raised over $6,000 for the charity. Maro describes the bakery’s relationship with the community as “symbiotic” stating that they work together to help each other do well.

Rheinlander Bakery

As Olde Town Arvada rapidly grows Rheinlander Bakery stands out as one of the few historic shops that can keep up with the changing trends yet remains true to its roots. In other words, the pastries are amazing.

Rheinlander Bakery is located at 5721 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Open Sunday through Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Follow them on Instagram to stay up to date on upcoming events.

All photography by Karson Hallaway.