The Bakery
Breads, pastries, pies, tortes and cakes, made from scratch in Butler-Tarkington every morning since 1979.
A SCRATCH BAKERY IN INDIANAPOLIS
The case changes every morning. The method has not changed since 1979.
The Emporium was a bakery before it was anything else. The bread for every sandwich on the lunch menu comes out of the same ovens as the apple fritters, the pecan rolls and the croissants in the case, and all of it is mixed and shaped by hand in our kitchen, not bought in. Head baker Sherry Culpepper runs that kitchen.
Come in the morning for the widest choice: danish and Boston creams, scones and alligators, cookies by the dozen. Order ahead for whole cakes, tortes, tarts and pies, or pick up a loaf of sourdough or onion rye on your way home. Our decorated cookies also ship nationwide from the cookie shop.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Open
Monday: 7 AM — 3 PM
Tuesday-Friday: 7 AM — 5 PM
Saturday: 7 AM — 2 PM
Sunday: Closed
Find us
5550 N ILLINOIS ST. INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46208
Free parking in the lot and on the street.
Call to order a cake: 317.253.9513WHAT WE BAKE
In the case
What is out changes with the morning and the season. Call for today's prices and what is on the shelf.
Every morning
Apple fritters, cinnamon twists, pecan rolls, cherry and cheese danish, rugelach, alligators, Boston creams, coffee cakes and the croissants, buttery, sweet and savory.
Breads
Housemade breads, baked every morning: whole wheat, white, onion rye, sourdough, French. Cinnamon raisin bread, silver dollar rolls, dinner rolls and butter flake rolls by the dozen.
Pastries and desserts
Scones in cinnamon, chocolate chip and the baker's fruit of the day, cannoli, eclairs, napoleons, and cookies by the dozen: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, molasses, lemon sugar and iced sugar cookies.
Cakes, tortes and tarts
Boston cream, Black Forest, carrot, German chocolate, red velvet, lemon raspberry and Double Dutch chocolate cakes; cheesecakes; La Bete Noire and the Triple Nut Torte, both flourless; tiramisu, lemon mascarpone, apple almond and the Wonderland tart with fresh raspberries.
Pies
Dutch apple, apple and cherry, coconut cream made with real coconut milk, pecan, chocolate pecan and key lime, with peach and blueberry in season.
Grab and go
Quiche by the slice and whole (ham and cheese, Lorraine, Greek, veggie, spinach bacon and mushroom), breakfast strudel, frozen scones and cookie dough, quarts of soup, and dinner for two: Tarkington chicken, lasagna, turkey tetrazzini.
The same bakery, for your table, your office or your shop
Bar and cookie trays, miniature dessert trays and whole pies and cakes are on the catering menu for parties and offices. Cafes, coffee shops, grocers and dining halls across Central Indiana buy our bread and pastries wholesale, baked to their order each morning.
Butler-Tarkington · Meridian-Kessler · Broad Ripple
A neighborhood bakery near Butler University
We are at 5550 N Illinois St, Indianapolis, a few minutes from the Butler campus, Meridian-Kessler and Broad Ripple. Come in the morning for the widest choice, and call ahead for whole cakes, tortes, tarts and pies. Directions, parking and what is nearby.
- Is everything really baked from scratch?
- Yes. The bread, croissants, scones, pies, cakes and cookies are mixed, shaped and baked in our own kitchen, the way they have been since 1979. No mixes and no preservatives.
- How far ahead do I need to order a cake or a pie?
- Call 317.253.9513 and we will tell you what is possible for your date. Whole cakes, tortes and tarts are best with a few days' notice, and some seasonal items, like the cranberry tart, need 24 hours. Slices, pies and everything in the case are first come, first served.
- Do you make custom or decorated cakes?
- Yes. Celebration cakes come in chocolate, white, lemon, lemon poppyseed and carrot in 8-inch, 10-inch and half-sheet sizes, and decorated iced sugar cookies can be made in custom shapes by the dozen. Call to talk through what you need.
- Do you have gluten-free baked goods?
- A few. La Bete Noire and the Triple Nut Torte are flourless chocolate tortes, and gluten-free bread is available as a substitute on sandwiches. We bake in a shared kitchen, so please tell a manager about any allergy before you order.
- Can I buy a loaf of bread to take home?
- Yes. Housemade breads, baked every morning, and loaves, rolls and cinnamon raisin bread are sold at the counter while they last. Come early for the best choice.
- Do you ship?
- Our decorated cookies ship nationwide from the ISFE Cookie Shop at shop.isfeindy.com. Everything else is baked for the counter, catering and our wholesale partners here in Indianapolis.
- Do you sell wholesale to cafes and restaurants?
- Yes. We bake bread, pastries and desserts for cafes, coffee shops, grocers and institutions across Central Indiana. Use the wholesale form on this site and we will follow up with a proposal.
- What are your hours?
- Monday: 7 AM — 3 PM; Tuesday-Friday: 7 AM — 5 PM; Saturday: 7 AM — 2 PM; Sunday: Closed. The case is fullest in the morning.
Come early. It goes.
Order ahead for cakes, pies and trays, or stop in at 5550 N Illinois St, Indianapolis and see what came out of the oven this morning.