The first Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakery at Western Ave & Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, 1921

Posted on September 13, 2015 by

The first Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakery at Western Ave & Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, 1921Though largely forgotten now, if you lived in Los Angeles in the 1930s, you could swing a girdle or a derby without hitting a Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakery. This is a photo of the first one, which opened in 1921 at the corner of Western Ave and Beverly Blvd. Ten years later, there were 90 locations in Southern California (and 21 in Washington and Oregon.) Not bad for an initial investment of $200 and a business that sold potato chips but swapped to baking after a potato shortage in 1916.

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2 responses to “The first Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakery at Western Ave & Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, 1921”

  1. Louella Rehfield says:
    September 13, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Oh Martin! I had all but forgotten about the Dutch windmills and Van de Kamp’s. Bless you for reminding me of a wonderful time. I’m sure you have seen the late Ralph Storey’s “Things that Aren’s Here Anymore” on PBS. Jerry and I used to watch his tv show each morning (Ralph, Stephanie Edwards, and a news man whose name I have forgotten). What a wonderful piece of tv history. Hope you have survived the heat and hope you have air conditioning. Fondly, L

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  2. Elizabeth Honnold says:
    April 25, 2016 at 6:34 am

    Van de Kamps also sold ice cream “cones”, always and only Neopolitan flavor, square molded slices that fit exactly into square molded wafers about 3 inches square. The girls waiting on customers wore Dutch caps and bright blue dresses with white aprons. The goodies were the real deal, too…buttery and sugary and European based recipes. My mom splurged on Van de Kamps when she was planning an afternoon tea party. For everyday eats, we depended on the Helms bakery truck that cruised our neighborhood twice a week.

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