Minerva Bakery closes after 103 years serving McKeesport families

The owners made the surprise announcement in a Facebook post.

By the MVI

A McKeesport bakery that has spent over a hundred years serving the community has closed its doors.

The owners of Minerva Bakery, located at 927 Fifth Ave., announced they were shutting down after 103 years in business.

In a statement on their Facebook page, they thanked the McKeesport area for allowing them to be a part of the family, traditions and memories.

“After 103 years, it is with incredibly heavy hearts that we announce the closing of our bakery,” the post read. “For more than a century, these doors have been open to generations of families, friends, neighbors, and visitors.

“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has walked through our doors, shared our baked goods with their families, and supported us throughout the years. While saying goodbye is difficult, we are proud of the legacy we leave behind and humbled to be a small part of so many lives for 103 years.

“Thank you for allowing us to be part of your family, your traditions, and your memories.”

The business has been passed down through the family for an entire century.

In a social media post, McKeesport Mayor Tom Maglicco and the city offered its gratitude for “Minerva’s decades of business along with heartbreak to see the bakery closing.”

“I grew up in that neighborhood, and I’ve known the Monezis family my whole life,” the mayor said. “The raisin bread. The buns. I’ll miss it all … and no family function with be the same without a Minerva cake.”

The city’s Facebook post stated that unforeseen circumstances, including health concerns and staffing issues impacting business, led to the owners making the decision to retire.