Titus Bakery Offers Award-Winning Donuts

Writer: Matt Keating
Photographer: Ron Wise

Titus Bakery, with locations in both Lebanon and Westfield, Indiana, won “The Best Donut” award at The Indy Donut Festival last fall, and it’s easy to see why.

After you sink your teeth into one of their delicious treats, such as their “Pershing” donut, with maple ice on the exterior, and cinnamon on the inside, you will come running back for more.

Terry Rake, owner of Titus Bakery, says “The Pershing” is their most popular donut with customers looking to satisfy their craving for sweet treats.

She says her business has been blessed with customers who have been visiting their establishment (when it was Titus Pastries) since the 1950s. They recently expanded their menu with fresh baked, homemade pies and cakes and delicatessen selections.

“We are now Titus Bakery and Deli,” Rake says. “And we are a third-generation, family-owned business.”

She noted that Titus makes all of their fresh donuts and pastries the old fashioned way, with a lot of time and care.

“We have been operating at our current location in Lebanon since 1980,” Rake says. Terry’s father, Bill Titus, sought to retire in 2012, and enlisted Terry’s help in finding a buyer.

“Before long it became apparent to me that this would be an opportunity for me to grow the business and keep it in the family,” Rake says. “Aside from expanding hours and visibility, a key element in my strategy was to extend the range of products offered to include cakes, pies, cookies and a host of new baked items.”

With this in mind, she changed the name from Titus Pastries to Titus Bakery, acquired in 2012. Along those same lines, the delicatessen was added in 2014.

Featuring Boar’s Head brand meat and cheeses, the deli currently offers four signature sandwiches made with homemade hoagie buns, as well as box lunches and various condiments.

“This segment of the business has enjoyed steady growth as more and more customers become aware of the quality and quantity provided at a reasonable price,” Rake says. “In addition, we brought on our own brand of coffee, also used in various specialty drinks and our own line of popcorn.”

The popularity of Titus encouraged Rake to expand to Westfield at 17471 Wheeler Road, Suite 110.

“Given our longstanding reputation, we have always been blessed with customers from a wide range of surrounding communities who have encouraged us to open new locations,” Rake says. “Hamilton County and Westfield, in particular, struck us as a growing area with excellent potential and the best place to expand first.

“Proximity to Grand Park was certainly a consideration, but the support from local residents has been what is most gratifying. We have been welcomed whole-heartedly and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know repeat customers and the community in general.”

It’s not uncommon for people to drive several miles from various Indiana cities to visit one of the Titus locations. Their selection of tasty choices is large and diverse. Titus Bakery Donuts are also now available at A Taste of Amish in Zionsville.

Rake says that the hard work to make the food at Titus stand out has paid off in other ways too.

“We have enjoyed a succession of awards and forms of recognition along the way,” Rake says.

Titus Bakery has been featured in many local and national publications, including Readers Digest and Bake Magazine.

“We have been spotlighted on various local TV programs, including Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick, Fox 59’s Where is Sherman?, Your Hometown Friday, as well as CBS4 with Nicole Pence,” Rake says.

Titus was also featured on The Baking Channel’s Discovering America’s Bakeries series and was also honored as one of the 2015 Indiana Companies to Watch, an award program presented by the State of Indiana and the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and endorsed by the Edward Lowe Foundation.

“In the subsequent year, we were recognized by the same group as an Indiana Spotlight award winner,” Rake says. “Voted Best Bakery on Indy A-List in 2014, we have been continuously ranked in the top three for best donuts and best bakery with Indiana A-List voters.”

In 2016, Titus also won the No. 1 prize on WIBC’s National Donut Day contest with their delicious Maple Bacon Long John donut. Rake was selected in February 2017 as a Zonta Club Rose Day Award Winner of Lebanon for her outstanding service to the community.

In September 2017, Titus was awarded the Best Donut Award at the Indy Donut Festival held in Broad Ripple and the Best Donut Award by the Fishers Tri Kappa Donut Fest.

Titus was also honored to receive the Lantern Award – Business of the Year by the Westfield Chamber of Commerce.

“In this vein, we have always sought to give back by donating to a host of non-profits and deserving causes as appreciation for the support we have always received,” Rake says.

Titus Bakery is located at 820 W. South St. in Lebanon and 17471 Wheeler Road, Suite 110 in Westfield, Ind. For more information, visit them online at titusbakery.com.

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