Oak Mill Bakery

About Us

History

Born of Polish heritage, Bogna Iwanowska-Solak came to the United States in 1981 with plans extending only to a short vacation. With Poland’s government under turmoil and the enactment of martial law, she decided to make Chicago her new home. In 1986, after the birth of their first child, Alexandra, Bogna and her husband Walter opened their first specialty bakery.

Armed with both her business experience in the import-export trade and a strong culinary background along with a love and passion for food, Bogna soon turned Oak Mill Bakery from a modest bakery of one into 5 locations. With quality and freshness at the forefront, Oak Mill Bakery still imports some of its ingredients directly from Poland staying true to its roots. This combination of European and natural ingredients along with attention to detail has created what many consider to be a source of pastry perfection.

When Bogna is not working at one of the bakeries or meeting with customers, she is devoting time to the Polish-American Association, taking a leadership role in the Gift from the Heart Foundation, or contributing to the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra (PASO). With the little spare time she has left, she takes pleasure in traveling with her family and art collecting.