McMillan's Bakery, the South Jersey staple that closed in May after 86 years in business, is reopening next year under new ownership.
Tom Whitman, the owner of Del Buono's Bakery in Haddon Heights, purchased the Haddon Township property that housed McMillan's Bakery and its baking equipment for more than $800,000, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported. Whitman plans to oversee business operations while Doug Biemiller, a member of the McMillan family, will handle baking and productions.
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Whitman plans to spend about $700,000 to renovate the space and reopen the bakery by February. He intends to continue serving McMillan's cream- and jelly-filled doughnuts.
McMillan's was established in 1939 by Evelyn and George McMillan and passed down through multiple generations. After the McMillan's eldest daughter, Arline Biemiller, died in 2023, the family decided to close the business, because Biemiller did not want it to be run by anyone outside of the family. The property was listed for sale last fall.
"We've had many offers to buy our beloved business, but our Matriarch insisted that our family business end with our family," the McMillan family wrote in a Facebook post in May. "She was clear that she did not want our name or our legacy to be carried on by anyone outside our fourth-generation family. And so, we are honoring her wishes and closing our doors after 86 wonderful years in business."
However, Whitman is no stranger to legacy bakeries. In 2013, he purchased Del Buono's, which dates to 1926, from Constantino Del Buono for nearly $4 million, the Business Journal reported. He has since added pastries to the menu and made equipment and building upgrades while maintaining a vintage feel to the bakery, Del Buono's website says.
Whitman, a former Domino's Pizza franchisee, also purchased Carmen's Deli. The Del Buono's locations in Marlton, Stratford and Bellmawr each share space with Carmen's Deli locations.