After Whoopi Goldberg criticizes NYC bakery, customers pour in

GREAT KILLS, Staten Island (PIX11) -- Whoopi Goldberg claimed that a historic bakery on Staten Island wouldn't fill a dessert request that she'd made because the business didn't like her politics.

The owner of the bakery, Holtermann's, said that a major maintenance issue at the business had prevented it from filling any large orders, like Goldberg's, at that time. Now, people from across Staten Island and way beyond have stepped up to show support for Holtermann's, and, they said, to send a message of disapproval to Goldberg. 

The comedienne, actress and host of the talk show "The View" sparked controversy on the show on Wednesday when she showcased a large tray of what Goldberg called her mother's favorite dessert. It's called Charlotte Russe. It's a small, individual piece of cake with raspberry curd, wrapped in decorative paper, and topped with whipped cream with a maraschino cherry on top. 

"The place that made these refused to make them for me," Goldberg said during a segment on "The View" on Wednesday. "[My] folks went and got them anyway," Goldberg continued, "which is why I'm not telling you who made them," she said. "Perhaps they did not like my politics."

She said during the segment that a large order for the treats had been placed in her name but was turned down. Even though Goldberg didn't name the bakery, its unique packaging identified the source as Holtermann's, and word about Goldberg's displeasure quickly spread. By Friday, there was a long line outside of the bakery on Arthur Kill Road well before it opened at 7:30 a.m. Long lines remained throughout the day until closing time at 6 p.m. 

The business almost completely sold out of its stock. Its staff baked non-stop, all day. 

Holtermann's has been baking on Staten Island for 146 years. Its many devoted customers call it an institution. 

"I'll be 82 in January," said Penny Clark, who'd come to buy coffee cake. "As a little girl," she continued, "my birthday cakes came from here, holiday cakes came from here. I've never stepped away."

Thomas and Elizabeth Barnes are also regular customers, but they'd never tried the Charlotte Russe "until now," Elizabeth said. 

"The bakery didn't do anything wrong," her husband Thomas added, "and we're here to support them. If it helps them get some extra business, then good for them."

Bakery owner Jill Holtermann Bowers said that when Goldberg's order came in early this month, the bakery's boiler was being replaced. As a result, said the owner, she couldn't promise to fill any big orders.

"The boiler was from like there to there," said Holtermann Bowers, pointing to two theoretical points about 12 feet apart. "It took five guys to cut it up, remove it, and then you have to change all the piping."

It was a very large undertaking, the owner said. She was invited by Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella to join him and other local elected officials in a news conference in front of the bakery early on Friday afternoon to show support for the bakery, and to condemn Goldberg's comments.  

The news conference lasted about a half hour, but all day, from open to close, there was a non-stop, long line. 

The reaction, said Holterman Bowers, was the unexpected result of an unexpected situation. 

"We didn't know what was going on until somebody called us from Ohio" on Thursday, the bakery owner explained in an interview, "and he said, 'Y'know, there's this thing with Whoopi Goldberg and the Charlotte Russe cups," she said, "and I didn't know what he was talking about."

That was the first of many, many calls to the business, which helped the owner and her employees quickly learn about what had happened. 

"We figured it out, and I'm happy for the business, happy for the support," said Holtermann Bowers. "We give to Staten Island all the time, volunteering, doing everything else," she continued, "so I'm so happy seeing everybody coming out to support us." 

Near the close of business, she said that Friday's sales figures were at least as strong as they are on her busiest Thanksgiving and Christmas bake sale days. Customers had left her shelves nearly bare, and, the owner said, she and her staff had taken dozens of orders from other parts of the country for shipping. 

PIX11 News reached out to "The View" for comment. Goldberg and the show declined through a spokesperson.