East Idaho Eats: Geraldine’s Bake Shoppe & Deli offers fresh breads, sweets, sandwiches and more

AMMON — Stop by Geraldine’s Bake Shoppe & Deli and you’ll find a hearty meal, a warm bowl of soup, a loaf of fresh bread or a yummy sweet treat.

The family-owned bakery and deli has been around for decades with Jay and Merry Bungard running the Ammon business since 2001.

“I’ve worked at Geraldine’s since 1994. We moved to Idaho from Kansas and Geraldine is my sister-in-law – my wife’s oldest sister,” explains Jay Bungard. “I worked for her from 94-97 in Chubbuck before we moved up here and bought her out in 2001.”

Geraldine’s is known for delicious, made-from-scratch bread and rolls. Several bakers work from midnight to 7 a.m., making sure the items are fresh for customers and preparing food to be dropped off at Broulim’s, where some of Geraldine’s products are sold.

A variety of breakfast items, including sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches, are offered all day long. Customers crave Geraldine’s biscuits and gravy – both homemade recipes and, yes, both made-from-scratch.

Lunch goers enjoy several sandwich options on a variety of breads. Soup is popular as a side offering or as a meal with a warm roll.

“You can tell when it’s cold outside because the soup sales just skyrocket. On a good day in the fall and winter, we go through about 30 gallons of soup a day,” Bungard says, adding that Geraldine’s has 15 to 16 different kinds of soups.

Pastries, cookies, brownies, peanut butter bars and cinnamon rolls are extremely popular at Geraldine’s. The chocolate chip cookie recipe proudly belongs to Merry Bungard and children love the large sugar cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles.

“We also have gluten-free brownies, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and then we have gluten-free bread and gluten-free rolls,” Bungard says.

Online and DoorDash orders have exploded over recent years and Geraldine’s was the first bakery/deli in eastern Idaho to offer a drive-thru, something Bungard says saved the business during COVID-19 restrictions.

Bungard invites anyone who hasn’t tried Geraldine’s to stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner and support a local business serving delicious food.

“There’s a 99% chance when you come in there will be a family member working here. We’ve got seven kids and they’ve all worked here,” he says. “Now I’ve got grandkids working here. We try to buy locally and support the local community.”

Check out Geraldine’s menu on their website and visit their Facebook page.