The last German bakery standing: Passion, pastries fuel Bread Pete in Cape Coral

Bread Pete.

Say it fast, add a German accent, and the name of this Cape Coral bakery specializing in German fare sounds remarkably like a famous actor: Bread Pete — Brad Pet — Brad Pitt.

That was the intention, according to German-born owner Peter Lipkat, and he said tourists and expats get it.

“Germans know ‘Bread’ or 'Brad Pitt,'” Lipkat said with a laugh. “They come in all the time asking where Angelina is.”

As in actress Angelina Jolie, Pitt’s famous ex-wife. Lipkat has enjoyed the play on words so much that he's trademarked the name. He's even fielded inquiries about franchising the beloved bakery he launched in 2011.

Bread Pete sits in the corner of an aging strip mall on Del Prado Boulevard and SE 44th Street. There really isn’t anything like it in the Cape, or elsewhere in Southwest Florida for that matter.

Lipkat doesn’t serve American-made versions of German goods. He imports Bread Pete's products directly from his homeland, including much of the pastry dough. He even shipped in specialty bakery cases, the focal point of the shop, for showcasing his goods.

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A native of Oberhausen, Germany, Lipkat still owns an insurance company in Deutschland. When he set out to open a business in Cape Coral, he admits to not fully doing his homework.

“We found this location with all the windows," he said. "There was good traffic." What he didn't notice in 2011 was another small German bakery almost directly across the street.

“We were a bit naive,” he said. That naivete did not impede his success. In the 11 years since Bread Pete opened, German bakeries and restaurants have come and gone in Cape Coral. Lipkat's is the last one standing.

He attributes that accomplishment to several things, first and foremost: his openness to merging the dining cultures of his homeland with his new community. For instance, he says most Germans don’t linger over a large breakfast, something Americans hold near and dear to their dining hearts.

Realizing his customers wanted to dine in the bakery and have savory options, Lipkat added bacon and eggs to the menu. He listened to regulars from the Northeastern U.S. who yearned for tastes of home and started serves slices of Taylor Pork Roll with fried eggs.

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Putting his old-world spin on the American breakfast platter, he also offers Leberkaese, a German meatloaf. He cuts the loaf into thick slices, as you would pork roll, sears it on the griddle then serves it with a sunny-side-up egg and a house-baked Kaiser roll.

For lunch, Bread Pete’s menu features deli sandwiches made with imported cheeses, as well as bratwurst and traditional sauerkraut. Regulars rave about the rye bread made from ancient grains. Most of the sandwiches get a drizzle of an oil-vinegar spice blend for an extra burst of flavor. Even the spicy mustard comes from Germany, and Lipkat insists there's nothing quite like it.

This old-world-new-world blend works. On weekends, Bread Pete's queue often stretches out the door.

Breakfast and lunch specials aside, most patrons come in for the breads, rolls, pastries and cakes.

“We Germans love our bread,” Lipkat said.

Self-serve cases, where customers can help themselves to their favorite loaves, also set Bread Pete apart.

“No one else has these,” Lipkat said. “It’s very unique.”

The cases make it easy to fill a bag with an assortment of freshly baked goods, the heart of Bread Pete's operations.

Croissant dough arrives at Bread Pete parbaked. The European company from which Lipkat sources folds the dough 24 times with real butter, leaving it extra flaky and rich.

“It’s really hard to create a flaky product in this humidity," he said.

Chocolate croissants are the most popular pastry and almost always sell out. The maple pecan Danish is not far behind. And there are doughnuts.

Bread Pete's doughnuts are made with a sweet, delicate cream that fills the circumference of the dough, like air in a tire. They are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, so you might not feel as guilty when you have a second — or third.

There are generous squares of German plum cake and apple strudel, too. You’ll also find traditional rhubarb and cherry cakes topped with a butter-crumb mixture.

“It’s sweet and sour with a spongy dough on the bottom, and it’s very popular,” Lipkat said.

While the treats are sweet, they are not loaded with sugar the way many American pastries often are.

“They are more natural and good for the diet,” Lipkat said with a big smile.

When it comes to coffee, Bread Pete has yet another thing most Southwest Florida bakeries don’t: an in-house roaster. Rebel Coffee has set up its commercial roasting operation in the back of the bakery. When the local coffee company roasts beans, customers get a front-row seat to the action, complete with the comforting coffee aromas.

“It’s like a show,” Lipkat said.

Rebel Coffee makes a special blend for Bread Pete, grinding and brewing the beans fresh each morning.

When asked what has fueled his success over the last decade, Lipkat said passion. “It’s not as easy as it looks,” he said, shaking his head. “You have to have heart and soul, as well as brains.”

A catchy name doesn't hurt. And, of course, a great product.

“We are simple a little German bakery with real German goods," Lipkat said. "I love to work here and still get goosebumps when people come in and thank us for being here, especially after COVID. I’m very thankful.”

Gina Birch writes about food, wine and spirits for The News-Press and at thebirchbeat.blogspot.com. Follow her as @ginabirch on Twitter and find her on Facebook. 

German bakery: Bread Pete

Address: 4402 Del Prado Blvd. S., Cape Coral

Hours: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 8 a.m.-noon Sunday

Call: 239-471-0408

 More: find it on Facebook

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: The last German bakery: Passion, pastries fuel Cape Coral's Bread Pete