Sunrise Bakery, a family-run, local business that has been owned and operated in Fortville for over 10 years, closed its doors for the last time. The award winning bakery, which was named the best in Indiana by both Yelp and Buzzfeed, officially shut down Sunday, January 7th. During the time it was open, it carried nearly 20 donut varieties baked fresh every day, as well as locally roasted drip coffee.
“It’s been an honor to be in this town, get to know everyone and watch their families grow,” Henry Kitterman, the owner of Sunrise Bakery, told CBS4Indy, “everybody that comes in the door gets a big hug.”
Customers are equally upset to see the bakery go, with one saying, “It’s the way they make you feel when you walk in the door. They know your name, they know your order, they know what you are doing that weekend. I’m going to miss that.”
According to CBS4Indy, Sunrise Bakery’s owners blame the road project on Broadway Street, saying that it has zapped much of their usual customer traffic. Other businesses and residents of Fortville alike have had similar issues with the project, with businesses saying that the construction has been “impacting their ability to stay open,” and residents concerned about fire truck access and upset at the number of semi trucks going down their neighborhood roads. The construction was supposed to have ended in July, 2023, but is still ongoing. The current projected end to the construction, according to INDOT, is November 2024.