Steve Hartman says it still “doesn’t feel real” that he and his wife Joni are retiring. Steve and Joni are the owners of Hartman’s Bakery, located at 901 North 11th Street in Manitowoc, and they have owned the store since 1995. Steve told us that buying the store was “a natural progression in our lives. This was available at the right time for us, and we decided to jump in.” The Hartmans had worked at other bakeries together in Wisconsin and Texas prior to starting their own.
When the couple decided that it was time for them to retire, and attempted to sell their store, they could not find any buyers. When that avenue failed, they decided to just close the establishment down completely and put a sign on the door saying as such. Then, they received what Steve called an “explosion of interest in people wanting to buy the place.” When deciding who they would sell to, Steve explained that it “came down to who got the financing first.”
The community as a whole was very supportive of the couple as well, which caught Steve and Joni off guard. “We were pretty much overwhelmed by it for about three weeks after we put the sign up,” he explained. “It was a good way to go out I guess.”
Austin and Luisa Rehrauer
Some of the biggest news in Manitowoc over the past few days has been the sale of Hartman’s Bakery. Austin and Luisa Rehrauer are in the process of making the purchase but wanted to clarify some aspects. “We are still working on the financing,” Austin told Seehafernews.com. “It is not official yet. We are currently still waiting for the appraisal and certain aspects like that.”
Austin and Luisa are financing through Investors Community Bank, and Austin told us that it has been a smooth ride. He said that “they are going above and beyond, just like the Hartman’s are. I just want to thank them for that.”
Luisa voiced her thanks to both the Hartman’s and her husband, saying “At the beginning, I was really nervous, and Austin was the one who had more confidence, so I really thought about spending more time here with Steve and Joni. They’re really nice, and they have taught me a lot of things.”
The Rehrauer’s, who are both 23 years old, and just got married last year, are both nervous but excited to start this new chapter in their lives.
