Jeff Veigel, beloved co-owner of Minneapolis bakery Isles Bun & Coffee, dies

It’s not unusual to see crowds gathered at Isles Bun & Coffee in Minneapolis; lines for their cinnamon rolls are often out the door.

But on Monday they gathered for a somber reason: to pay respects to co-owner Jeff Veigel, who died Sunday after he couldn’t recover from an unexpected medical event. He was 70.

For 25 years Veigel and his partner Catherine Veigel have owned the Uptown bakery, where Jeff had been a constant presence.

“He loved being here — he was here all the time,” said Mikayla Stanek, the publicist for Isles Bun & Coffee. “He wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time and doing well.”

Condolences and memories have been pouring into the bakery’s social media accounts.

“Jeff and Catherine will always be the best bosses I have ever had,” a former employee posted. “The ethics and kindness and wisdom of that man left such an impression on me and my family.”

“He was always quick to make people laugh with a dad joke on hand,” said another.

Known for his Panama hat, boat shoes and red truck, Veigel preferred to be behind the scenes instead of front and center.

“He didn’t like attention, he never really did,” Stanek said, explaining why few photos of him exist.

The bakery was another matter. While the cinnamon rolls and puppy dog tails — both slathered in cream cheese icing — have long been popular with locals, they’ve recently enjoyed time in the national spotlight. In January, Isles Bun & Coffee in Minneapolis was named home to the World’s Best Cinnamon Roll list.

A veteran of the dining industry, with a resume that reaches back to legendary Charlie’s Cafe Exceptionale, Veigel’s success boiled down to hard work and good advice.

“My dad ran a restaurant for years, and god bless him, he gave me a couple of pieces of great advice,” Veigel told the Star Tribune in 2020. “Don’t cheat. Use real butter, don’t save a few thousand dollars and use a cheaper margarine blend. And if you have to raise prices, don’t decrease portions.”

The bakery, (1424 W. 28th St., Mpls., islesbun.com) is open regular hours, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., this week.

“It’s what Jeff would want,” Stanek said.

In addition to his partner, Catherine, of Golden Valley, he is survived by a son, Gavin. Services have yet to be announced.