For those who remember and love the green boxes with brown cross-hatch, carrying their precious cargo of Crumb Cakes, Cup Cakes, Pies and especially Blackout Cakes. Please post your memories.
George Ebinger, of German descent, opened his first bake shop at 1110 Flatbush Avenue in 1898. They had a central bakery on Bedford and Snyder Avenues in Flatbush, and ultimately delivered to 54 outlet stores.
As his sons George, Walter and Arthur reached adulthood, new stores were opened for them, which led to beginning the Ebinger "network" in 1912. Each of the Ebinger sons learned the business from the ground up before being entrusted with the responsibility.
George retired in 1915, and passed on in 1935, leaving to the business to his sons, under whom it thrived after the Second World War.
Walter Ebinger ran the Company until his death in 1945. Arthur Ebinger led the company until the end. Known by his loyal employees as "Mr. Arthur", he worked from his office every day into his later years, even tasting Ebinger products to ensure their quality.
Their signature item was the "Blackout" Cake, a rich chocolate layer cake, iced with fudge, and covered with cake's crumbs. The name seems to refer to blackouts imposed on the citizens during WWII.
It is also believed that they were the originator of New York style crumb cake.
Periodic accounts in the living sections of The New York Times in the 1960's and 1970's speak to the phenomenon of Brooklyn residents loading up their cars with the precious cargo, to bring to 'expats' living on Long Island and in New Jersey.
Alas, their postwar plans did not intially include following their clientele to the suburbs. They attempted to accommodate their many fans by opening a factory in Long Island, which was delayed until 1971. It led to massive cost overruns, ultimately dooming the company.
Additionally, economic concerns reduced customer demand in the early 1970's, curtailing profits.
Following a failed bankruptcy hearing on August 25, 1972, they closed their doors the next day. Although they received no severance, long-term employees were loyal to the end. Arthur Ebinger died in 1977.
Rumor has it that Entenmann's purchased their recipes, hence the 1898 on their boxes. At the very least, they may have picked up the Blackout recipe at auction. However, Entenmann's focus on lower cost supermarket sales certainly was a contributing factor in Ebinger's demise.
There was a failed attempt to revive the name in the 1991 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Even today, the Ebinger Bakeries maintain a loyal and nostalgic following, as evidenced by the response to this Group.
List of Brooklyn outlets 1970:
1310 Ave J
1704 Ave M
1603 Ave U
1009 Brighton Beach Ave
113 Church Ave
1807 Church Ave
3996 Church Ave
4918 Church Ave
1316 Cortelyou Rd
558A Flatbush Ave
766 Flatbush Ave
1001 Flatbush Ave
1138 Flatbush Ave
1822 Flatbush Ave
2056 Flatbush Ave
1104 Kings Hwy
1707 Kings Hwy
150 Montague St
852 Nostrand Ave
1052 Nostrand Ave
1879 Nostrand Ave
2123 Nostrand Ave
3800 Nostrand Ave
225 Prospect Park West
1528 Sheepshead Bay Rd
840 Washington Ave
7006 3rd Ave
7608 3rd Ave
9504 3rd Ave
5924 5th Ave
6924 5th Ave
158 7th Ave
315 7th Ave
4907 13th Ave
594 E 16th St
6310 18th Ave
425 86th St
2073 86th St
1111 Pennsylvania Ave
FLUSHING:
185-02 Horace Harding Expwy
156-32 Northern Blvd
NASSAU:
488 Central Ave, Cedarhurst
156 Court Ave, Stewart Manor
3235 Sunrise Hwy, Rockville Center
Green Acres Shopping Center, Valley Stream