I can’t remember exactly when I first went to Anna Mae’s, but I think it was far enough back in the 90s that my family hadn’t split up yet, so 95 or earlier. It was always such a treat to go. Still is, actually. I was in there last summer for lunch with my mom and it was as good as ever. Get yourself some broasted chicken, potato soup and a piece of pie (chocolate and apple are my favourites), and that’s a good day.
And remember to buy some stuff to take home on your way out. I always did. A lot of times I’d spend as much or more shopping afterwards than I did on my meal.
It also has a special spot in my heart because it’s one of the places that my grandpa loved to take people to eat. Whenever he got it in his head that we needed to go out, I always hoped he’d say Anna Mae’s and not the Chinese buffet he also had a thing for but whose two best qualities were close and cheap.
Founder of Anna Mae’s Bakery remembered for her legacy
Millbank’s beloved pie maker, Anna Mae Wagler, has died.
Wagler founded the popular Anna Mae’s Bakery and Restaurant, which shared the news of her passing in an Instagram post Thursday praising the legacy Wagler created with her vision and courage.
“She built something truly special even when many believed it wouldn’t succeed in a small town. Because of her determination and heart, we are able to continue sharing the delicious recipes and traditions that so many of you have come to love.”
Anna Mae’s Bakery and Restaurant was a destination for many, from cyclists and snowmobilers trekking to Millbank for a sweet treat to families flocking from all over Waterloo Region and beyond for a home-cooked Mennonite meal that was as good a value as it was tasty.Wagler, born in 1952, built the restaurant on Perth Line 72 in 1991 with her husband, Melvin, after more than a decade of selling baked goods from her home. The restaurant grew quickly, with the demand taking it from seven tables and a counter to seating for nearly 200, and it soon became one of the largest employers in the village.
“A good dollar value and good product for the customer, that’s my concern,” Wagler told a Record reporter in a 1993 article celebrating the restaurant’s phenomenal growth, overcoming a recession, a rural location rejected by a feasibility study, little advertising and no previous restaurant experience.