It was 1949 when Danish immigrant Christian Olesen opened O&H Danish Bakery. What he didn’t know at the time is that his business would survive for 75 years and gain national acclaim for its baked goods and (especially) kringle.
Today the bakery offers as many as 20 flavors of Kringle at one time and bakes and sells as many as 7,000 Kringle a day during the holiday season.
That’s something to celebrate! And O&H Danish Bakery is doing just that.
Celebrate 75 years
To commemmorate its semisesquicentennial and thank the community for its support, the bakery will host a 75th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its retail store at 5910 Washington Ave. in Racine.
During the festivities, guests can enjoy live music from Racine band North Cape Express from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., participate in family-friendly activities and games, take advantage of fun photo opportunities and indulge in specialty pizza from Street-Za food truck, Kringle samples and more.
But that’s not all.
Four special kringle
For two delicious weeks, the Olesen family will also bring back four specialty kringle flavors chosen to represent each of four generations of O&H Danish Bakery ownership. To make things even more festive, all five bakery locations will be decked out with decade-themed decor and costumes during the two week celebration, Sept. 14-29. Mail order for the specialty kringle will begin on Sept. 9.
The specialty flavors will include:
The classic 50s: Apricot Sugar
This treat represents the 1950s, O&H’s first decade in business, a time when kringle featured traditional flavors topped with coarse sugar.
The sweet 70s: Pineapple Pecan
During the 1970s, Ray and Myrna Oleson favored this kringle featuring sweet, sunny pineapple, nutty pecans and brown cane sugar.
The nifty 90s: Custard Poppy Seed
In the 1990’s under Eric and Lisa Olesen, O&H introduced new ingredients and flavors while remaining true to traditional Danish pastries like Tebirkes made with poppy seeds.
The tasty 2020s: Cherry Almond Macaron
When Peter and Alyson Olesen were asked about their all-time favorite, they chose this kringle with its delicious macaron cookie topping.
“Reaching 75 years as a family-owned bakery is no small feat and we’re honored to be celebrating this milestone with our dedicated staff, family, customers and community members by our side,” said Peter Olesen, fourth-generation co-owner and president of O&H Danish Bakery.
“Whether you’re trying a slice of my great-grandfather’s simple and sweet favorite, or my parents’ poppyseed pick, thank you for honoring our past with us, as we look toward the next 75 years.”
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
