Erwin Ahrens opened the Kolache Shoppe on Richmond Avenue in 1970, working out his dough by asking every Czech grandmother he knew how she made hers. The answer was patience: scratch dough, fresh fillings, and time to rise. In 2014, after 44 years, he passed the business to Randy and Lucy Hines, a regular he had spent years teaching, and the recipes carried over intact. The Greenway shop on Richmond is a quick, early-morning stop. The sweet kolaches are the heart of it: apricot, poppy seed, cream cheese, peach and a house ube jam. The savory klobasniky are just as good, especially the Prasek's venison sausage with cheese and the Pinkerton's brisket with egg and cheddar.
What to expect
- Monthly special kolaches run Thursday through Saturday only.
- For big batches, order at least 24 hours ahead; delivery needs a $100 minimum.
- Coffee is served, and signing up for the email list earns a free kolache.
What to order
- Apricot kolache
- Poppy seed kolache
- Cream cheese kolache
- Venison and cheese klobasnek
- 1970Since
- Erwin AhrensFounder
- Randy and Lucy HinesOwners since 2014