Swedish Bakery in Andersonville will close at the end of February after 88 years in business, according to Dennis Stanton, operations officer, whose parents bought the store in 1979.
Why the closure? “A multitude of reasons,” said Stanton. “We’re all getting older here.”
“My mother, who’s still involved, is 86,” he added. “It’s increasingly more difficult to compete and our current customer base dying off.
“Plus it’s hard to attract millennials who are looking for a food experience. We’re pretty humdrum. We’re just a bakery.”
The most popular items now are their classic green marzipan princess torte, chocolate ganache cake and whipped cream cake with fruit, said Stanton, who added cakes make up 50 percent of their sales.
But when the bakery first opened in 1929 it was probably sweet rolls and bread, he said, specifically the Swedish rye known as limpa, which they still bake.
Their last day, Tuesday, Feb. 28, will fall on Mardi Gras, aka Paczki Day. Stanton said their most popular paczki flavor is custard-filled, with chocolate fudge on top.
But customers have been calling to stock up on their house special Andersonville coffeecake made from cardamom dough, with almond and cinnamon sugar filling, plus chopped almonds and crystal sugar on top.
Stanton said they will consider selling their recipes.
“But the food scene in Chicago is competitive,” he added, “People are not interested in history. They’re interested in making their own history, and that’s understandable.”
Swedish Bakery, 5348 N. Clark St., 773-561-8919, www.swedishbakery.com
lchu@chicagotribune.com
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