Does MPHS have photographs: Yes
Address: 101 S. Main Street
Is building standing: Yes
What is at site: Central Continental Bakery
When was business founded: 1979. Still operating.
Who owned business: Bob and Roger Czerniak
Interesting stories, facts, history:
The Central Continental Bakery is not only one of the largest and most successful bakery’s in the northwest suburbs, it is also on a very interesting site. The most influential person in the development of Mount Prospect was Cook County Commissioner William Busse and right here, where Central Continental Bakery is today, was his first house in Mount Prospect. He built his home here in 1894 and married and raised his family here. This was certainly the grandest house in Mount Prospect. There were formal sunken gardens behind the home and the home was used to entertain distinguished guests who came to town. The house was so nice that a number of William Busse’s friends asked to get married in his home. Their pastor would come to the Busse house and hold the ceremony in the Commissioner’s parlor. As William Busse got older and his children moved out he decided to build himself a new smaller home. In the 1920s he built his new house directly behind his first house, were village hall is now. He then had his first house picked up and moved onto Emerson Street and gave it to one of his sons.
He then built the building that is now Central Continental Bakery and rented it out to Meeske’s Market. Meeske’s Market was a fixture in downtown Mount Prospect for 59 years. It started in 1925 in the Busse Building on Main Street and built 101 S. Main in 1950 when they expanded. In 1973 the Meeske family sold the business, although the store maintained the name. The shop was closed in 1984 after going through a series of owners. The small locally-owned grocery store in downtown was not able to compete against massive chain stores in shopping plazas at the outskirts of town. After a renovation Central Continental Bakery moved into the space and has been there ever since.