In 1945, at the end of World War II, our veterans were coming home including a gentleman named Eddie Toney. Eddie was persistent to find a means to support his family upon his return from war which led him to open up Eddie’s Fruit Stand in 1946. He trucked in fruit from Albany, NY and a market in Boston, MA selling the product at his fruit stand in St. Johnsbury, VT. This fruit stand then led Eddie to open up Eddie’s Clam Bar, serving hamburgers, chicken, French fries, hot dogs, ice cream and more. Eddie served the local radio station his well-known hamburgers and French fries. The show hosts were so impressed, they freely announced his business on the radio station generating a great deal of business at his Clam Bar.

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Customers would eat at Eddie’s Clam Bar until 3:00 AM. It was a successful business for Eddie and his family, until one day Eddie’s neighbor, George Parker, closed his doughnut business. Eddie looked at his wife Doris and said “I’m going to start a doughnut business.” Doris responded, “What do you know about doughnuts?” Eddie replied, “Nothing, but I’m going to find out!” And so he did. In 1956 Eddie opened up Eddie’s Bakery on the corner of Hastings Hill in St. Johnsbury, VT, serving the local community his famous doughnuts in his personal station wagon, which now 62 years later, owned by a third Generation Toney, Paul Toney, Jr. and his wife Heidi Toney, serves across the entire United States. Eddie Toney continues to work for the bakery, and delivers on our weekly route to local convenient stores and Co-ops.

 

In 1975, Paul Toney, Sr., Eddie’s son, and his wife Gloria Toney took over the Sub Sandwich portion of the bakery. In 1988, Paul Toney, Sr. and Gloria Toney purchased the family business from Eddie and started creating pastries in addition to doughnuts and sub sandwiches. Starting this year on January 1, 2018, Paul Toney, Jr. and his wife, Heidi Toney, purchased the family business from Paul, Sr. and Gloria Toney. The bakery no longer makes sub sandwiches and focuses all its efforts on creating one-of-a-kind homemade, hand cut doughnuts and delicious pastries. Our bakery holds a strong story of entrepreneurship, dedication to family, business, and the local community. We hope to keep this tradition alive and pass the business on to future generations in the Toney family.