About Us

The story of The Bakery Unlimited is as unique and heartfelt as the products made and sold there. Opening a bakery was never part of a grand plan, but sometimes life has a way of leading you exactly where you are meant to be. Through the right education, chance meetings, hard work, and a little divine intervention, this special place came to be.

Marcia Sparks began her journey at Sterling College before completing her degree at Iowa State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in food nutrition and chemistry research. After graduation, she accepted a position with Harker’s Wholesale Meat in Le Mars, Iowa, where she was recruited to establish and run their lab and quality control department. It was there, on her very first day of work, that she met her future husband, Jim Sparks. The two were married in 1972, beginning a partnership built on love, faith, and shared purpose.

After spending time in both Le Mars and Des Moines, Marcia and Jim made their home in Winterset in 1975. They were drawn to its welcoming spirit, beautiful surroundings, and small-town charm. It was there, in a community they grew to love, that the roots of The Bakery Unlimited began to take hold.  

Over the next several years, Jim and Marcia were blessed with five children—Nathan, Oliver, Benjamin, Katie, and Ian—and family life was at the heart of everything they built together.

Jim worked in the insurance industry, and through one of his clients, an unexpected opportunity appeared. A restaurant in Des Moines was closing, and the owner asked Jim if he knew anyone interested in purchasing the equipment. After much thought, Jim and Marcia decided to buy a 60-quart mixer, pizza oven, bread rounder, and ice cream freezer, originally intending to resell them. Instead, the equipment sat stored in their home garage, quietly waiting for a greater purpose.

Within a year, a building on the town square—known then as the Midland Carpet store—became available. In 1983, Jim and Marcia were asked if they would be interested in purchasing it. As they reconsidered their plans, a new dream began to take shape. Rather than resell the equipment, they decided to use it to start a bakery.

With their family growing, they had often thought Winterset needed a place where friends, neighbors, and families could slow down, gather together, and enjoy something freshly baked. For Marcia, owning a business would also allow her to use her degree while raising their family. What began as a series of unexpected opportunities was becoming a calling.

The Bakery Unlimited celebrated its Grand Opening on the Saturday of the Covered Bridge Festival in October 1984. From the beginning, the bakery became known for its baked goods, though over the years it offered much more. At different times, customers could enjoy scooped ice cream, a salad bar, runzas, reubens, bagel sandwiches, and popcorn. There were even arcade games for children to enjoy after school, making the bakery a true gathering place for the community.

The runzas and reubens were inspired by Vander Meer Bakery in Le Mars, whose owners were dear friends of Jim and Marcia. In true entrepreneurial spirit, Jim and Marcia even made and sold their own popcorn oil and grew and dried their own corn. The oil and dried kernels became a customer favorite. Over time, some offerings changed—ingredients for the popcorn oil became difficult to source—but the heart of the bakery remained the same: a place built on family, hospitality, and good baking shared with the community.

  Marcia’s life was never still—it moved with purpose, generosity, and a kind of quiet joy that seemed to touch everything she did. On Sundays, you could find her at the church organ, filling the room with music. During the week, she poured that same energy into her community, lending her time and leadership to groups and organizations. For many years, she served as president of the Iowa Bakers Association, while also staying active in the Retail Bakers Association and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

When Jim and Marcia first settled in Winterset, the world was changing in small but exciting ways—microwaves, for one, were just beginning to appear in homes. Marcia saw not just a new appliance, but an opportunity. She began teaching adult education classes through DMACC at Winterset High School, showing others how to cook in this new way. Teaching came naturally to her. Whether she was welcoming MOC students into the bakery, hosting field trips, or opening the doors to community leaders and candidates, she made the bakery a place where people could learn, gather, and feel at home. It wasn’t unusual for the shop to fill with laughter during gatherings for church softball teams, or celebrations for children’s sports and music groups.

Helping others was never something Marcia thought twice about—it was simply who she was. In 2020, when grocery store shelves sat empty and bread became hard to find during the COVID-19 pandemic, she got to work. She baked and gave away 250 loaves of bread to the Winterset community, offering comfort in a time of uncertainty. For those who wanted to give something in return, she quietly set out a donation jar, directing every dollar to the local food bank.

And then there’s the blue bicycle above the bakery door—a detail many customers notice and ask about. That bike tells a story of family and determination. Jim and Marcia’s oldest son, Nathan, collected pop cans until he had saved enough to buy it, all so he could ride alongside his father in the 1985 RAGBRAI. That year, he was the youngest rider on the route. Years later, in June of 1993, Nathan passed away at just 16 years old. The bicycle remains, not just as decoration, but as a memory—quietly watching over the place that meant so much to him and his family.

The name “Bakery Unlimited” came from Marcia’s endless curiosity and love for baking. She was always experimenting, drawing on her knowledge of food and nutrition to create something new. Her donuts, in particular, became something special—distinct in a way people couldn’t quite put into words, only that no one else made them like Marcia did.

Today, her recipes still shape everything that comes out of the kitchen—donuts, breads, pies, and more. You can taste the difference right away, in the softness of the dough, the richness of the homemade glaze, and the sweetness of the marshmallow cream. And above all, there’s her signature creation: the Red Delicious apple fritter. Inspired by the history of Madison County—home to Jesse Hyatt’s original Red Delicious apple tree—Marcia made it her own. When apples are in season, they’re still picked from the family’s orchard and folded into each fritter. It’s the kind of treat people remember long after the last bite.

There was even a time when the bakery’s story stretched beyond Winterset. In the early 1990s, the owners of the Adel Ben Franklin invited Jim and Marcia to open a second location on the northwest corner of their town square. Each day, they delivered boxes upon boxes of fresh donuts, even reaching customers in Grimes, Dallas Center, and West Des Moines. It was a busy season—full of long hours and growing demand—but also one that came with its challenges. Eventually, after struggling to maintain staffing and keep everything running smoothly, Jim and Marcia made the difficult decision to close that chapter and refocus on what mattered most.

Through it all, the heart of the bakery never changed. It has always been, at its core, a place built on care—care for the craft, for the community, and for the people who walk through its doors.

 Over the years, the bakery has quietly found its way into hearts far beyond the town square. In 2024, 2025 and 2026, it was named one of the “10 Best Donut Shops” in the country by USA TODAY Readers’ Choice—ranking #5 and then rising to #3 the following two years. It was also featured in 100 Things to Do in Iowa Before You Die by Sara Broers, a nod to the kind of place people remember long after they’ve left. And on December 3, 2024, Senator Joni Ernst brought that recognition all the way to Congress, honoring the bakery as an exemplary small business in the state of Iowa.

Those honors are proudly displayed on the wall—but not as trophies. To the family, they tell a larger story. They belong just as much to the early mornings of dedicated employees and to the steady support of a community that has shown up, day after day.

In November of 2020, that same community felt a deep loss with Marcia’s passing. Not long after, her daughter Katie returned home, stepping back into the place where so many memories had been made. These days, she can often be found moving between the kitchen and the front, balancing baking, special orders, and the many details that keep the doors open. Jim is still a familiar presence too—always ready with a smile, a story, or a friendly conversation with anyone who walks in.

Though much has changed over the years, the heart of the bakery remains the same. Marcia’s recipes still guide what’s made each day, and her spirit of generosity continues to shape what the bakery stands for. Each Memorial Day, the family carries on her tradition with a bread giveaway, sharing with the community in her memory—just as she would have done.

Now, more than 41 years since it first opened its doors, The Bakery Unlimited continues its daily rhythm. From Tuesday through Saturday, the case is filled with fresh donuts in the early morning hours, the doors opening at 5:30am to welcome those who arrive before the sun is fully up. Regulars know to come early for their favorites, but many come for something more than what’s in the case. They come for the familiar faces, for the chance to catch up with a neighbor, for the feeling of being part of something that has been built over time.

For employees, too, the bakery often becomes more than a workplace—it becomes part of their own story, a place tied to memories they carry with them long after their shifts end.

If you step inside, you’ll understand why so many call it “The Gathering Place.” It’s not just the smell of fresh bread or the sweetness of a warm donut—it’s the sense of connection, of history, and of care that lingers in every corner.

And for those who have yet to visit, the doors are always open. There’s always room for one more story, one more conversation, and one more friend.