Rejoice pastry-lovers! Bridgeport Bakery is back!
In a delicious turn of events, Bridgeport Bakery will reopen under new ownership sometime next month. The new owner Can Lao will be working with longtime owner Ron Pavelka to bring the legendary South Side bakery back to its former glory. While the restaurant hasn’t set an exact reopening date, it promises to be up and running in time for Paczki Day.
The bakery closed after 47 years last Oct to the heartbreaking dismay of the community. The cozy, Chicago favorite was known for its Polish style pastries as well as bacon buns and other donuts. Paczkis are a local favorite that locals line up outside the door for, especially on Paczki Day and weekends. Lao plans to reopen sometime in early Feb, but definitely in time the beloved doughnut-filled holiday.
Paczki Day, for those of you who don’t know, is essentially the Polish-American Fat Tuesday, a tradition that Chicago has lovingly embraced. While Paczkis are traditionally eaten on Fat Thursday in Poland, US Bakeries usually sell them the day before Ash Wednesday (and sometimes even during Lent. Skandaliczny!) Last year, Bridgeport Bakery sold over 25,000 paczki on Fat Tuesday, which falls on Feb 25 this year.
Lao also reportedly plans to add Asian pastries to the menu in addition to the bakery’s staple Polish pastries. The new owner is also remodeling the store and building the business’ first website. For now, look for updates here and on the bakery’s Facebook page. We’re so excited for this South Side relic to return. See you in line on Paczki Day!
Feature Photo: Shutterstock.