damnlines.comdamnlines.comA Staten Island bakery institution since 1878 that became a folk-hero viral sensation in July 2026 when locals lined up before dawn in a show of support after Whoopi Goldberg publicly claimed the shop had refused her order over politics.
damnlines hasn't pointed a lens at Holtermann's Bakery yet. The most-wanted lines get a camera first.
Atlas Obscura describes Holtermann's as a 'somewhat isolated tiny bakery' with an oversized parking lot built to handle the 'dozens of cars' that bring shoppers who 'queue up patiently' for its German-recipe cakes and pastries — a sign the bakery's draw outpaces its out-of-the-way location.
Waits can run long even on ordinary days: Atlas Obscura reports at least one customer 'standing in line for an hour' during a regular visit, underscoring that the patient parking-lot queue described elsewhere on the site is a routine feature, not just a one-off.
That capacity was tested in July 2026 after Whoopi Goldberg said on 'The View' that Holtermann's refused a large dessert order because of the shop's politics — an account owner Jill Holtermann Bowers disputed, telling PIX11 the bakery's boiler was being replaced that week and it simply couldn't fill big orders. Staten Islanders responded in force: Atlas Obscura reports 'there was a long line outside the bakery well before it opened at 7:30 a.m., with long lines remaining throughout the day until closing time,' and the shop 'almost completely sold out of its stock' as staff baked nonstop, a rush also documented by PIX11 and IBTimes UK.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: No reservation system reported; Atlas Obscura describes customers queuing on a first-come, first-served basis in the parking lot and bakery.
Walk-ins: Yes — walk-in only, first come first served, per Atlas Obscura's description of customers who 'queue up patiently.'
Typical hours run about 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday and 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sunday/Monday, per business listings; during the July 2026 rush, PIX11 reported crowds continuing until the shop's 6 p.m. close that day.
Waits vary but can run long: Atlas Obscura reports one customer 'standing in line for an hour' on a normal visit, with the lot regularly filling with 'dozens of cars' as people 'queue up patiently.' During the bakery's July 2026 viral moment, Atlas Obscura and PIX11 both reported lines forming well before the 7:30 a.m. opening and continuing until closing time.
No reservation system is mentioned in available reporting. Atlas Obscura describes a walk-in retail bakery where customers queue on-site in the parking lot and shop, not a booking process.
Yes — it operates first-come, first-served, with Atlas Obscura describing customers who 'queue up patiently' in the parking lot before walking in to buy from the case. On its busiest days, that walk-in line has stretched well past opening time, per Atlas Obscura and PIX11's coverage of the July 2026 rush.
A viral controversy: Whoopi Goldberg said on 'The View' that Holtermann's refused a large dessert order over political disagreement, which owner Jill Holtermann Bowers told PIX11 was actually due to the bakery's boiler being replaced that week. Staten Islanders turned out in support, and per Atlas Obscura the bakery 'almost completely sold out of its stock' as lines ran from before opening until close.
Holtermann's has been a Staten Island institution since 1878, known for German-style pastries, cakes, and Charlotte Russe — the individual whipped-cream cake at the center of the 2026 Whoopi Goldberg controversy, per PIX11 and IBTimes UK.
Sources: Atlas Obscura · PIX11 · IBTimes UK