Written by Heena Khandelwal , Edited by Deepa V Mumbai | January 3, 2026 10:24 AM IST 3 min readJ Hearsch, or Jacob Hearsch, after whom the bakery is named, was a German gentleman who started the establishment sometime in the early 1900s, if not earlier . (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)The queue system was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic and has remained since. “If the queue gets too long, we take two orders at a time,” Melwyn said. “For packing, we add more staff. My brother and daughter also step in when needed.” This hands-on approach is also why the bakery is not on delivery platforms. “Our focus is the counter crowd,” he said.Among the newer additions to the menu are Korean cream cheese buns and bombolinis, both introduced as recently as September. “Korean cream cheese buns have a peculiar garlicky taste and not everyone likes them,” Melwyn said. “But the response has been better than we expected. With bombolinis, we knew the demand would be good, and it met our expectations.” J Hearsch & Co is famous for its burgers, rolls and puffs. More recently they launched Korean cream cheese buns and bombolinis. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)What lies aheadThe business, Melwyn admits, is currently thriving. “I’ve given my whole life to this,” he said. “What makes me happy is the success of the bakery.” When asked about expansion plans, he shared: “There’s no next generation ready to take over. They all have good jobs and are well settled. Not 24×7 but even today, the bakery demands constant physical presence. You can’t leave it entirely to your staff.”Fredrick Fernandes also shared that its future at the location also remains uncertain. Melwyn Dsa now mans the bakery with his brother Stephen and daughter Megal. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)“These two brothers are the architects of the bakery’s renown,” said Fredrick Fernandes. “They revamped everything and maintained the quality. The bakery became so popular that some years ago, Jacob Hearsch’s granddaughters even visited to see it for themselves.”However, he added that the Dsa family are tenants. “A builder has purchased five of the six shares of this property. The matter is in court, but once it settles, they will have to vacate.” While it’s unclear how long the legal process will take, Fredrick estimates it may not be more than two years.For Bandra’s loyal patrons, it may be time to savour these familiar flavours a little more consciously, while they still can.Heena Khandelwal is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai. She covers a wide range of subjects from relationship and gender to theatre and food. To get in touch, write to heena.khandelwal@expressindia.com ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd