Demolition Begins At Wonder Bread Bakery

NATICK, Mass. -- A slice of Massachusetts history began falling to the wrecking ball Tuesday as demolition began at the Wonder Bread Bakery in Natick.

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Amalia Barreda Reports On Demolition

Just after noon Tuesday, NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported, an excavator began taking big bites out of the old Wonder Bread factory in Natick. The six-acre facility that once produced half a million loaves of bread a day had an audience on demolition day.

Folks like Harold Weaver, who first reported to work at the bakery 40 years ago.

"We had to get the doughnut line started. That was our thing was to get the doughnuts started. Time to make the doughnuts," said Weaver. "There's a touch of remorse in seeing the place go, but things change."

The factory is coming down to make way for new luxury retail space. The expansion to the Natick Mall of more than half a million square feet, will include high end stores like Nordstrom's and Neiman Marcus.

At the reception marking Tuesday's event, the chefs got creative and served decorated Hostess favorites Snoballs, Ding Dongs and Twinkies.

Former company manager Ralph Whinnem said the Twinkie was the brainchild of an old timer in Chicago, experimenting with sponge dough.

"The thing that makes the holes in the Twinkie to put the cream in? That fell in there, he filled them up, he passed them out, everybody like them and they made it a unit," he said.

It was a day to reminisce about Wonder Bread, that in its heyday, was a top employer in Natick and a good neighbor to the community.

"We gave lots of donations to baseball, charities, hospitals, things like that. So, it meant a lot to the community. A lot of jobs were lost," said former Diana Grady. "Most of the part that I liked was that your co-workers always were a team."

"We're going to a funeral today, I guess, but we have to think of the brighter side and maybe bigger and better things are going to be where that was," said Weaver.