By Esther Leggett
Are you on your spring or summer vacation in Amish Country? Or are you just on a day trip to our area? Or are you actually a resident here?
Regardless of your status, you'll want to make a point to get on US 250 and head toward Apple Creek and go to Troyer's Home Pantry.
Why is Troyer's special? That's easy: they make absolutely scrumptious baked goods. Take their pies, for instance. They bake 31 different varieties (can you even name 31 different pies?). Most weeks, Troyer's Home Pantry sees between 4,000 and 5,000 pies pop in and out of their three large ovens. The three days prior to Thanksgiving each year, they bake more than 12,000 pies, a third of which are pumpkin.
Other varieties include elderberry, cherry, cherry crumb, blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry, red raspberry, red raspberry cream, strawberry, pecan, rhubarb, rhubarb crumb, apple, apple crumb, peach, raisin, raisin cream, German chocolate, oatmeal, lemon meringue, coconut cream, banana cream, butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate cream, chocolate peanut butter, custard, shoofly, mince and mincemeat (did you just count all these to be sure it was 31? If you got 30, you forgot the pumpkin in the paragraph beforehand!).
The business began in the kitchen of Abe Troyer, whose son Paul now runs the operation.
"In 1969, my mom and sisters did a lot of baking, mostly to use the eggs left over from our egg route (delivering eggs to regular customers)," Paul explained. "They made a lot of angel food cakes and sold them on the route. When they got more and more orders, we moved the business out to another building on our property. It turned out to be a profitable endeavor, so my dad decided to make a go of it. In 1974, dad built the original bakery right here where our present store is today."
Although pies and cinnamon rolls are the biggest sellers at Troyer's Home Pantry, they also bake a lot of bread, angel food cakes (in seven flavors: vanilla, lemon, maple nut, maraschino and nut, chocolate, strawberry and raspberry ... did you count them again?), cookies, pumpkin bars, donuts and cream sticks. You can also purchase frozen, ready-made pie shells at Troyer's. And EVERYTHING is made from "scratch."
Abe learned early on, rather than make 30 items, it's better to make 10 well and make them economically, and he passed along that theory.
"So we stick to what we do best," Paul said. "Customer-demand tells us what to bake."
Nearly 75 percent of Troyer's business is wholesale; products are distributed in northern Ohio, as far away as Toledo. The remaining 25 percent is local, retail business in their store. Bakery items may be picked up at the bakery, where fast, friendly customer service prevails. There is also a smaller retail store located in Wooster.
"We have a lot of customers who rely on our quick service," Paul said. "They stop in for donuts or other pastries, and some hot coffee, on their way to work. They want to stop, get it and go!"
Troyer's Home Pantry has 25 employees, many of whom are part-time. They run their baking operation 24 hours a day.
"Our employees put in 1,000 man-hours a week," Paul said. "We're a total profit-sharing organization; we're sold on that principal. The total profit "pie" (no pun intended) is split between 30 individuals. Technically, there are no 'employees;' we're all self-employed."
Paul, who has been with the business for 10 years now, is accompanied by his oldest son, Branden. Right now, Branden is taking a break from the bakery and is the last year of a five-year mission commitment in the Central African country of Malawi. He and his family will be returning this fall, and he will work at the bakery once again, alongside his father.
"My other two sons also enjoy the business, as well," Paul said.
What's Paul's favorite part of his job? Would it be sampling the wonderful goodies coming out of the kitchen? No, not quite.
"I really enjoy all the people I meet every day," he said. "Whether it's on the delivery route, getting new accounts, building relationships the our customers or just helping someone solve their problems, I really enjoy being with them."
Customers can expect the very best product possible at Troyer's Home Pantry because they produce products from simple, basic ingredients.
"We don't buy any prepared pie fillings," Paul said. "We buy frozen fruit and make our own. Our cream pies begin with fresh milk, and our crusts are made with unstabilized lard. We use only the best."
Each week, large quantities of ingredients flow through the bakery's kitchen: five tons of sugars and flours; 180 gallons of fresh, whole milk; and between 300 to 400 dozen eggs.
Being conveniently located right on U.S. Route 250, Troyer's Home Pantry gets a lot of folks dropping in on their way from northwestern Ohio and Michigan down to the sunny south. They tend to stop in for goodies on their way south, and then again on their way back home. Many have been biannual customers for many, many years.
Once you've tried the fantastic baked goods at Troyer's Home Pantry, you, too, will want to be a repeat customer. Be sure to stop in while visiting the Apple Creek area. You'll be very glad you did.
Troyer's Home Pantry Bakery & Retail store -- 668 W. Main St. (US 250), Apple Creek, OH 44606, (330) 698-4182; hours: weekdays, 6 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sat., 6 a.m.-5 p.m.
Retail store: 319 E. North St., Wooster, OH 44691, (330) 263-1990; hours: Mon.-Thu., 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m., and Fri., 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m. See ad on page 8.
Coblentz Furniture is located just a few miles east of Apple Creek, at the corner of US 250 and Kohler Road. It's really easy to find.
Owned by Elizabeth Coblentz, the business began back in 1975 when she and her husband realized his dream of owning a furniture store.
"They started out small," their daughter Leah said, "just in case it wasn't a success. But back then there weren't very many Amish furniture stores around, and it proved to be a huge success, so it the building grew as the business did."
Today, the showroom is 5,000 square feet of beautiful sold wood furniture, most of which is made on site. What isn't, is made locally by Amish craftsmen.
"We offer a complete line of furniture for the home," said Bob, Leah's brother. "We have bedroom furniture (beds, dressers, night stands and other pieces); dining room furniture (tables, chairs, hutches); entertainment centers to fit today's large-size televisions plus all the other related equipment, such as DVD and video players, etc.; office furniture (large desks, small desks, chairs, book cases); some upholstered furniture; kitchen tables and chairs with matching hutches and cupboards; and many, many other large and small items."
The best part is, if you don't find just exactly what you want, Coblentz Furniture will custom make it for you. You get to pick what you want, what size you want, what wood you want, what color stain you want and the style of hardware.
Leah said the "trendy" things today are hand-planed plank tables, painted furniture (mostly black or expresso, which is a very dark brown, mixed with stained wood) and distressed wood.
Delivery service is available if you can't take your furniture home with you. Bob said they've had furniture delivered far and wide.
"For some reason," he said, "Colorado has been very good to us. I just came back from a trip out there delivering furniture. I guess it's cheaper for them to come here, buy it, and then have it shipped out there.
"Awhile back, we took two trailers of furniture to a man in Texas. He furnished his whole house with Coblentz Furniture."
On your next trip to Amish Country in general, and Apple Creek is particular, be sure to stop by Coblentz Furniture and see all they have to offer. You'll be very glad you did.
Coblentz Furniture -- 12573 Dover Rd. (US 250 between Apple Creek and Mt. Eaton), Apple Creek, OH 44606, (330) 857-0200; hours: weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sat., 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Sun.; see ad on page 8.