WEST, Texas — While most people are asleep, bakers at the Czech Stop in West, are hard at work making dough.
They've been promoting Czech heritage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long since 1983.
They never close.
They make about 200 trays of fruit Kolaches daily and over 300 on the weekends.
Many people don't know about fruit Kolaches. The Czech pastry came to Texas from Eastern Europe in the 1880s.
Barbara Schissler, the president and CEO of the Czech Stop and Bakery said most people get Kolaches confused with something else.
"A Klobasnik is a savory one. It's with sausage, and then the Kolache is made of fruit or cheese," Schissler said.
If you call a Klobasnik a Kolache, Schissler said people in West will be quick to correct you.
"Czech's don't like that. A Klobasnik is a Klobasnik. It's not a Kolache," Schissler said.
At the Czech Stop they make both.
West native Cookie Smith, is a production manager and she has been at the Czech Stop for 29 years. She said her grandparents are Czech, so working there feels like the perfect place for her.
"It feels like home," Smith said. "I got to learn some of the stuff my grandma made that I was too young to learn how to make, and I'm happy doing it."
She said the original Kolache flavors, are prune, poppy seed, apricot, and cottage cheese.
Over the years, they've added new flavors like strawberry, Nutella, cream cheese chocolate, and many more.
Smith said they're always busy at the Czech stop, so they're always baking.
"It's exciting to have people come to our town and see the Czech heritage," Smith said.
Now, when you order a Kolache remember what it really is and where it came from.
Next time you need a place to stop, why not the Czech Stop in West?
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