Between the scent of freshly baked bread and its tempting window display of cakes and cookies, Joyce’s Bakery lured customers inside its doors near 44th and France for almost five decades.
Owner W.J. “Red” Joyce opened his Morningside business in 1922 and soon became well known for his red hair and white bread. Before huge commercial bakeries churned out sliced bread for supermarkets, housewives walked to the corner store a few times a week for freshly baked loaves.
The savvy businessman advertised regularly in the Crier, a monthly newspaper for Country Club residents. Before Christmas 1931, his ad featured a quote from a Country Club resident: “My wife says: ‘If you serve really good bread, the meal will be a success. My reputation as a hostess owes much to Joyce of France Avenue.’ ”
Everyone had their favorites. For Jim Lishman, the powdered-sugar doughnut reigned supreme. “The thick coating, the crisp of the surface, and the incredible crumble of the cake. You’d think we’d forgotten all about it in 35 years. I’ve never found one that compares.”
Red retired in the late 1960s and sold his business to Stan Rice, who closed the shop about a decade later as customers started buying their bread at grocery stores and limited their bakery shop visits to special occasions.
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