Chicago Specialty Baker

Introduction / Overview

For decades, the name Chicago Specialty Bakers (CSB) has been synonymous with high-quality, authentic artisan bread and baked goods in the Illinois region. Established in the early 1980s, CSB has evolved from a string of local bagel shops into a major wholesale bakery operation based in Elmhurst. While not a retail storefront selling single pastries to the general public, this establishment is a critical, behind-the-scenes contributor to the food service and grocery industries across Chicagoland, the nation, and even internationally.

Chicago Specialty Bakers operates on the core principles of Old World artisan baking. This means their process values individual craftsmanship and time-honored techniques, focusing on flavor development through methods like lengthy fermentation and the use of natural levain (sourdough starter). The result is bread that boasts real, complex flavor, an open-cell structure, and superior quality—a far cry from mass-produced conventional products. Their product range is vast and specialized, including everything from unique European ryes to custom-made sandwiches and pretzel products. They have established themselves as a leader in providing customizable bread solutions, meeting the exacting standards of clients who demand real flavor and flexibility.

In a bustling metropolis like Chicago, the demand for specialized, high-end bread products for restaurants, airlines, and grocery in-store bakeries is immense. CSB's Elmhurst facility is the engine that drives this supply, ensuring that businesses across Illinois can offer their customers superior, authentic baked goods. This commitment to maintaining ancient baking traditions while utilizing modern, efficient production lines is what makes Chicago Specialty Bakers a true gem in the Illinois commercial food industry.

Location and Accessibility

Chicago Specialty Bakers' Elmhurst location is strategically positioned to serve its vast client network across Illinois and beyond. The facility is situated in a highly accessible industrial area, designed for the efficient logistics and distribution necessary for a major commercial enterprise.

The facility can be found at:

745 N Larch Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126, USA

Elmhurst is a key logistical hub in the western suburbs of Chicago, providing excellent access to major interstate highways, which is crucial for a wholesale operation that distributes products region-wide. While the location primarily services commercial clients—such as distributors, airlines, and food service companies—the company maintains essential features for a professional, accessible business environment:

• Wheelchair accessible parking lot: This provision ensures that all commercial visitors, partners, and employees, including those with mobility challenges, have unhindered access to the facility. This is a vital component of any major, professional business operation in Illinois.

This facility represents a significant investment in the Illinois economy, equipped with advanced production machinery, including a 95-foot-long EasyMac production machine installed to handle specialized products like ready-made sandwiches and French toast. The location's design supports large-scale production and efficient commercial logistics, underpinning their commitment to reliable supply across their diverse customer base.

Services Offered

As a wholesale, commercial operation, Chicago Specialty Bakers focuses its services entirely on business-to-business (B2B) clients, supplying specialized, high-quality baked goods to large organizations within the food industry.

• Wholesale Artisan Bread Production: Manufacturing a wide range of authentic European and specialty breads, including rye, sourdough, ciabatta, focaccia, and French-style baguettes, often utilizing a time-intensive levain base.
• Custom Product Development: Working directly with clients to customize the style, shape, and flavor of bread and baked products to meet specific menu or retail needs, ensuring a unique offering for Illinois businesses.
• Specialty Product Lines: Producing unique items beyond standard bread, such as gourmet artisan bagels, German-style pretzel products (buns, subs, twists), and specialized frozen products like French toast soufflés.
• Food Service & Airline Supply: Supplying high-volume, ready-made food items, including over 12 million ready-made sandwiches annually, and other quick-serve items like mini bagel dogs, pies, and quiche, tailored for high-demand commercial use.
• Par-Baked and Frozen Distribution: Offering products that are partially baked (par-baked to 80%-90%) and then quick-frozen, allowing end-users (like grocery stores) to finish the product in minutes, delivering a "fresh-baked" experience to the local Illinois consumer.
• Finishing Butter and Edible Cookie Dough Production: Supplying specialized ingredient products like various flavored finishing butters and edible cookie doughs, broadening their offering to food manufacturers and retailers.

Features / Highlights

Chicago Specialty Bakers is distinguished in the competitive Illinois market by several core features that highlight their commitment to Old World methods and modern scale.

• Authentic European Rye Specialization: A major distinction is their deep commitment to traditional, levain-based, dark-colored Eastern European rye breads, including pioneering the Russian "Borodinsky" rye in the U.S. marketplace. They are one of the only major artisan bakeries in the country to use 100% rye flour and an aged rye levain.
• Artisan Commitment at Scale: Despite having a large, 45,000-square-foot facility and outputting around 1 million pounds of product per week, they successfully incorporate "made by hand" aspects and traditional senses-based baking techniques, ensuring flavor is never sacrificed for volume.
• The "Time is the Ingredient" Philosophy: The bakery proudly employs a lengthy fermentation period for its doughs, which is critical for developing the open-cell structure, complex flavor, and superior texture of their artisan breads—a key feature that sets their products apart on the Illinois market.
• Advanced Production Technology: The recent $20 million investment, including the installation of the specialized EasyMac machine, showcases their capability to innovate and produce highly customized baked and prepared food items efficiently.
• Diverse and Customizable Portfolio: Offering a unique product mix—from ancient European breads to modern pretzel buns and specialty frozen desserts—allows their Illinois clients to source a wide and distinct range of goods from a single, reliable vendor.

Contact Information

Chicago Specialty Bakers, Inc. is a wholesale operation and maintains channels for commercial inquiries from prospective clients, distributors, and vendors across the Illinois region.

Address: 745 N Larch Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126, USA

Phone: For general business inquiries, please utilize the publicly available contact number to reach the appropriate sales or administrative team for commercial quotes and information. Specific public retail lines are typically not available for wholesale facilities.

All interactions are strictly B2B. Businesses interested in partnering with Chicago Specialty Bakers are encouraged to reach out through their corporate website or by calling the main listed number to connect with their sales or customer service department.

What is Worth Choosing

For any business in Illinois—whether a leading grocery chain, a high-end restaurant, or a major food service provider—Chicago Specialty Bakers in Elmhurst represents a clear choice for high-quality baked goods. What makes CSB truly worth choosing is their unique fusion of Old World authenticity and state-of-the-art commercial capability.

The most compelling reason to partner with CSB is the unparalleled quality of their bread, which is rooted in tradition. In an industry increasingly dominated by speed, CSB slows down the process, utilizing a 30-year-old levain and long fermentation times. This commitment to "time as an ingredient" delivers a depth of flavor and quality of texture—like the famous Borodinsky rye—that cannot be replicated by conventional methods. By choosing CSB, Illinois businesses can elevate their product offerings with authentic artisan bread, gaining a significant competitive edge.

Furthermore, their immense capability for customization and scale is invaluable. They are flexible enough to meet customer demands for specific styles and shapes while having the production capacity to supply high volumes to major accounts, including commercial airlines. For a grocery retailer in Illinois, this means they can consistently provide their customers with premium, 'par-baked' items that can be finished in-store, delivering the sensory experience of freshly baked bread without the complexity of a scratch bakery operation. By providing authentic, specialty, and customizable products at a commercial scale, Chicago Specialty Bakers is not just a supplier; they are a vital, strategic partner for any Illinois business focused on culinary excellence and customer satisfaction.