Resch’s Bakery has been in its E. Livingston Avenue location for some 60 years; a new location in Gahanna is in the works. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

I grew up on Simpson Drive on the eastside of Columbus, near Whitehall and Reynoldsburg. In my first 20-some years of life, I went to Shady Lane Elementary School, Sherwood Junior High School, and Walnut Ridge High School; I attended Shady Lane Presbyterian Church.

Just down the street from the church on E. Livingston Avenue, at the intersection with Yearling Road, is Resch’s Bakery. The bakery shares a small shopping center space with White’s Pharmacy, and it’s been there for as long as I can remember.

Resch’s has been in the Columbus community for a long time, baking breads, cakes, pies, donuts, pastries, cookies, pretzels and more.

Customers rave about Resch’s cinnamon rolls, coconut macaroons, apple fritters, glazed donuts – well, just about everything they bake is going to be the best you’ve ever tasted.

The bakery got its start when several immigrants came to the U.S. looking for a better way of life. Wilhelm Resch, of Neiderwinden, Germany, immigrated to the U.S. in 1906. He found work at a watch factory in New York City along with his uncle, Frank Resch. They heard of the thriving German community (now known as German Village) in Columbus and soon moved there.

In Columbus, the two found employment at Berkey’s Bakery where they learned the trade, and Wilhelm became extremely proficient. In time, the two pooled their savings and built Resch’s Bakery at 1029 E. Livingston Ave. 

With the bakery established, Wilhelm returned to Germany to bring his wife and children to Columbus. Over the years, successive generations of Resch family members have worked at the bakery – children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. The east Columbus bakery was built in the 1960s at 4061 E. Livingston Ave.; the original location at 1029 E. Livingston Ave. was closed in the 1980s.

In 2012, Resch’s Bakery celebrated its 100-year anniversary and the sixth generation of Resch bakers working at the bakery.

Resch’s Bakery plans to open a new location in the spring at 150 N. Hamilton Road in Gahanna. Here’s hoping that they enjoy many more years of success as one of Columbus’ most beloved bakeries.

Find more bakeries in Ohio at Dusty Tires.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

Subscribe to Dusty Tires and receive a weekly email with the latest blog article. It’s free!

All rights reserved, Dusty Tires (dusty-tires.com), 2025.