New owner, same good eats at Eet Gud
Tracey Destribats doesn’t like change.
“I would happily take my typewriter back,” she quipped.
So when Destribats, a Trentonborn, Rider University grad, Hamilton resident (and the director of advancement of the Trenton Catholic Academy), heard Eet Gud Bakery was for sale — or else potentially closing — she immediately knew she couldn’t let it happen.
“That bakery has been here 90 years,” she said. “It’s a staple.”
So Destribats hatched an immediate plan: Get the Trenton Catholic Academy to buy it.
It didn’t pan out.
So she bought it instead.
“I called the realtor — who was my cousin — went in and looked at it, looked at the details, talked to Donna, the owner, and started thinking about it,” she said. “We just closed a week ago Friday, and we’ll be opening up some time this week.”
And just like that, Eet Gud will continue on. In fact, “some time this week” has actually come and gone: It opened for good Wednesday at 6 a.m.
By the way, the “Donna” Destribats referred to is Donna Gorish, the third-generation owner of Eet Gud, which was opened in 1928 by her grandfather. Gorish grew up on the property and has been working at the bakery since she was 14. She’s about to become a grandmother for the first time — her daughter lives in Tennessee — and, according to Destribats, was ready to pass the business on. It was time. And there was no family here to continue the job.
“Donna’s been doing it all since she was 14,” Destribats said. “From making cookies to doing repairs, she’s literally done everything. She’s ready for a break.”
But she’s also not going anywhere. Destribats said Donna — and the rest of the longtime staff — will continue on with the jobs.
“I’m just jumping in,” Destribats said. “Donna is staying on, her bakers and staff are staying on, everybody’s staying.”
In short: Nothing is changing, just like Destribats likes it.
But there will be a few improvements.
“Donna has done a phenomenal job by herself continuing the bakery and working as hard as she has,” Destribats said. “But there were just things she didn’t have the time to do. For instance, there was no website, no Facebook, really nothing technology-wise. And we’re also going to bring the deli back and have coffee service. We’re going to re-light the sign and things are a little brighter on the inside. But the product and the people? Exactly the same.”
Destribats’ dad, Jay, passed away two years ago. He — much like the bakery — was a Hamilton fixture. He opened his law firm there in 1972 and was the Chairman of the Board of Yardville National Bank for nearly two decades. He was also a member of too many boards and clubs to list.
And despite his passing in 2015, Destribats still called on her dad to help her make the Eet Gud decision.
“Knowing his love for Hamilton Township, he definitely would’ve told me to do this,” Destribats said. “Keep the tradition going.”
As a result, Destribats isn’t even planning a “grand opening” celebration; to her, it’s just a continuation of what Donna Gorish’s grandfather started in 1928.
“People told me I should change the name,” Destribats said. “That nuts. Eet Gud is a staple. I hope it’s here for another 89 years.”