It’s a family affair at Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on February 11. The bakery is an integral part of Arlington’s community and has been a part of generations worth of birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. The bakery was also the backdrop for the love story of its co-owners, Wolfgang and Carla Büchler, who met at the bakery and have been married for 47 years.
It all started when Wolfgang, 76, traveled to the United States from Germany in 1969. From the age of 6, he knew he wanted to be a baker, so he settled in NoVA to learn more about management while working at Seibt’s Konditori, a former German pastry shop in Tysons. What was meant to be a year-long trip turned into a much longer stay, and Wolfgang eventually opened Heidelberg in February 1975.
An Arlington native, Carla, now 66, applied for a sales position at Heidelberg a few months after the bakery opened.
“I used to dance ballet, and our carpool would drive by the bakery site on our way to class,” says Carla. “My earliest memory was a sign, like ‘Opening February 11, Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe.’ So we were excited.”
And while this love story ends with “happily ever after,” it took time for their relationship to blossom.
“We worked together and had a nice rapport, and things progressed,” Carla says. “I think working together first is nice, because you just kind of get in sync, so it just kind of grows slowly.”
Two and a half years after meeting at the bakery, the couple said “I do” and have been together ever since.
When asked the secret to their long and happy relationship, Carla says it’s patience, enjoying each other’s company, and having similar values — which is especially important when it comes to working with each other day in and day out.
“Mostly it’s nice and it’s good [to work together] because if you’re running a business, it takes a lot of time,” says Carla. “If he were just here by himself and I were someplace else, we would probably never see each other. It’s also nice because our kids have come and worked here and been part of things. … So it’s sort of like home, but at work.”
That homey feeling is what also connects the Büchlers to so many of the bakery’s customers. Being open for five decades has allowed Carla and Wolfgang to build relationships with generations of families throughout NoVA. Being part of other people’s major milestones is something Carla has cherished throughout the years.
“We’ve had people that have met here and gotten married, or customers that you see get married, and then you see them when they have their baby, and all the different stages of their life. I just think it makes you feel connected,” Carla says.
After 50 years, Heidelberg has a bright future. Wolfgang and Carla’s children, Alexander and Tatiana, and their grandchildren are ready to take over when the time is right.
“We’re hoping to keep things in the family and continue as we have been, but also find improvements and new things to offer,” Carla says. Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe: 2150 N. Culpeper St., Arlington
Feature image courtesy Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe
This story originally ran in our February Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
