Lancaster’s The Lovin’ Oven – baking for 50 years

LANCASTER – The Lovin’ Oven Bakery, located in Historic Lancaster Towne Square, celebrated 50 years in business this past Saturday.

The bakery was started in 1975, and has been continually baking since, closing only for three weeks in 1994 due to the Lancaster tornado.

Judy Houchens, the original owner, was in attendance all day and commented she was thrilled what she started was going stronger than ever.

A few years after opening, Judy sold to Oran and Wanda Coffey, and actually continued working at the bakery for several more years.

Suzanne Maxwell worked for the Coffey’s eight years before buying the business from the them.

The Lovin’ Oven is located the in building where the Star Room, a hamburger joint, had been for years.

Suzanne didn’t know her location had been called The Star Room until a former Star Room customer stopped by one day and reminisced about the location, telling Suzanne about the history of the owner posting pictures of movie stars on the right-hand wall.

Suzanne has continued that same tradition, posting famous people on the same right-hand wall to this day.

More than 1,000 people came to the event, waiting in a long line just to get inside to get some of the Oven’s baked goodies. Long time customers including past employees traveled from as far away as Gainesville and Fredericksburg to help celebrate The Lovin’ Oven’s 50 delightful and tasty years.

They have been in Lancaster Historic Towne Square for all those years, and are still pleasing customers.

Attendees could get cookies for 18 cents all day, and were also treated to free taquitos, quesadillas and queso plus chips and salsa as part of the celebration. And there were smiles on children’s faces because they all received a free cupcake.

The Lovin’ Oven delivers cakes, full sheet cakes and a quarter sheet, to all surrounding schools for birthday celebrations and special occasions.

They are pleased to be part of Lancaster and have customers from all around the area including Ellis County.

Their reputation as a fine bakery has spread by word of mouth over the years with many repeat customers willing to drive miles to get cakes and pastries for weddings, birthdays, promotions, and the list goes on.