Our Story
Oak Mill Bakery is a family-owned specialty bakery committed to serving Chicagoland with the freshest and finest European style baked goods since 1986. Specializing in high-end cakes, pastries, tortes, sweet table displays and baked goods made from scratch and fresh from our ovens daily. We strive to use natural ingredients such as fresh fruits & purees, natural butter, fresh eggs, real cream and parve chocolate to keep the quality of our product at the forefront. We invite you to stop by one of our stores to sample our daily selections. Mówimy po polsku!
The History
A woman with a dream – sealed with a handshake.
Bogna Solak [owner], brought her love and passion for pastries to life. Alongside her, husband Walter helped to expand the business to the multiple locations we have today.
Bogna's journey as an entrepreneur started with a dream to open her own catering business. When she stumbled upon a bakery for sale, she saw an opportunity and seized it. Taking a leap of faith and with a handshake, she purchased the then quaint French bakery in 1986.
Bogna began to introduce her polish heritage and desserts to her first bakery location in Niles, IL. She introduced the community to a whole new world of flavors and sweet indulgences. From traditional favorites like our kolaczki cookies, flaky phyllo strudels, and starting with 2 dozen traditional paczki flavors. As she expanded the offerings, she added eclairs filled with decadent pastry cream, cream puffs, and fruit tarts with seasonal fresh fruit on top; All of which we still carry in our stores today.
Working long hours with a lot of dedication, she continued to fuel the bakery’s success. She began to expand the wholesale business with the finest hotels and venues providing them with our pastries and cakes. Each partnership sealed with a handshake; our wholesale division continued to grow by word of mouth.
As the business flourished, so did their family. With the arrival of their children, Alexandra and Matthew, the passion for creating delicious desserts only grew stronger. With their fresh perspectives and energy, Oak Mill Bakery began to grow even more.
Since the start of the original bakery location in Niles, IL, Oak Mill Bakery has grown to the multiple store locations that we have today all over the Chicago-land area. We pride ourselves on our bakery items that showcase the time-honored recipes that have been passed down through generations. We are delighted to share that Oak Mill Bakery continues to be a family-owned and operated business now by the owner's son, Matthew Solak.
All our products continue to have simple ingredients of the highest quality, with no added preservatives.
From the first bite to the last crumb, the Solak family invite you to savor the taste of the family’s heritage and experience the warmth of our bakery's delicious beginnings.
Welcome to our family table.
The Solak Family Favorites
Bogna's Favorites: Poznansky Cake & Raisin Swirl Croissant
Walter's Favorites: Pear Charlotte Cake & Poppyseed Strudel
Matthew's Favorites: Devils Ganache Cake & Plain Croissant
Alexandra’s Favorites: Fresh Fruit Cheesecake & Lemon Curd Tart