For Strawberry Hill Baking Co., growth has never been about chasing the biggest space or the flashiest opportunity. It’s been about timing, relationships and finding the right place to do what they do best, baking one of Kansas City’s most beloved traditions.
Now, the family-owned bakery known across the nation and, well, the world, for its handmade povitica has found that place in Olathe.
After months of searching, Strawberry Hill owners, Dennis and Marc O’Leary, and their team landed on a 30,000 sq. ft. building, located at 801 N. Meadowbrook Dr., and it felt right almost immediately.
“This space is a little bit smaller than where we were, but it’s perfect for us,” Dennis O’Leary said. “We can do everything we used to do, just in a way that makes more sense. We couldn’t pass this building up.”
O’Leary said Olathe stood out for both its location and its momentum. “There are a lot of opportunities here,” he said. “We really like the heart of what’s happening. You can see the renaissance. We’re close to it, but not right in the middle of it.”
The building’s location near the highway, combined with the planned improvements along the 135th Street corridor, sealed the deal.
“That corridor renovation is going to be huge,” O’Leary said. “It’s going to bring activity, which is great for us and great for the property overall.”
The decision came together quickly. On the same day the building was suggested, O’Leary met with the owner and his brother, walked the space and realized it matched both Strawberry Hill’s needs and their tight timeline.
Strawberry Hill took possession of the building on June 14 and immediately got to work, targeting a Sept. 19 opening. The transformation was no small feat. The space had previously served as an automotive and gun supply warehouse — far from food production ready.
“It wasn’t meant to be a food facility,” O’Leary said. “But it is now.”
The building’s “great bones” made the conversion possible, but it required an all-hands-on-deck approach. Multiple projects were underway at once, from ripping out carpet to installing food-grade infrastructure.
“We hired the right people (Strickland Construction) because we knew how much work there was,” O’Leary said. “(Strickland) stayed on top of it. If they hadn’t, some of this would have taken much longer.”
For decades, Strawberry Hill’s business revolved around the holidays. Roughly half of its annual sales come between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24. Just 54 days.
“The business was growing, but we needed to figure out how to keep things going the other 10 months of the year,” O’Leary said.
That realization sparked a major pivot in 2018. Strawberry Hill expanded its production partnerships, working with companies like Costco, Harry & David and Jack Stack BBQ to keep ovens running year-round.
Once that model took hold, the need for more space became unavoidable.
“That’s when we said, okay, we need a bigger building,” O’Leary said.
The timing turned out to be perfect. When COVID hit, Strawberry Hill was positioned to handle increased online demand. With customers stuck at home but still shopping online, the bakery experienced its best years ever in 2020 and 2021.
“Had that pivot not been in place, we might have struggled,” O’Leary said.
When the world needed povitica, Strawberry Hill was ready. The hand-rolled sweet bread with thin layers of dough wrapped around rich fillings like English walnut or fruit — is at the heart of Strawberry Hill’s identity. The methods used today trace back to the recipes carried to Kansas by the O’Leary family’s great-great grandparents when they emigrated from Croatia more than a century ago, long before the bakery became a household name.
Strawberry Hill Baking Co. began in 1985 when O’Leary’s father decided to start a bakery, almost on a whim.
“My dad walked into my room when I was doing homework and said, ‘I’m going to start a bakery,’” O’Leary recalled. “I said, ‘Yeah, whatever, Dad.’ Then he actually did it.”
What started as a small operation renting time in a donut shop slowly grew through relationships and trust. Equipment was passed down. Locations changed hands. One oven still in use today has been moved three times.
“It’s always been about relationships,” O’Leary said. “Treating people right. Not burning bridges. You never know when you’re going to cross that bridge again.”
After his father passed away in 1999, Dennis and his brother took over the business and have run it ever since. Today, it remains a true family operation, with multiple generations working side by side.
Strawberry Hill’s English Walnut Povitica remains its signature product, accounting for about half of all sales. Each batch uses 60 pounds of walnuts and produces 90 loaves of bread. At full production, the bakery will turn out about 2,000 loaves a day.
The company is currently a GMP-audited facility and is preparing for SQF certification, an internationally recognized food safety standard that will allow Strawberry Hill to sell in stores nationwide.
Just as important is how the company treats its people. Employees earn at least $16 an hour, with an average wage of $21. During peak season, staffing grows from 32 to 74 employees.
For Strawberry Hill Baking Co., the move to Olathe represents more than a change of address. It’s a continuation of a story built on craftsmanship, adaptability and community.
“We’re here for the relationships,” O’Leary said. “That’s always been who we are.”
As the ovens warm up in their new Olathe home and the scent of fresh povitica fills the air, it’s clear that Strawberry Hill hasn’t just found a building, it’s found a place to keep growing, one delicious loaf at a time.