Vegan Bakery Opens in Chicago

New vegan bakery Betty Bot opened today in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago. The brainchild of local vegan baker Betty Alper, who has been selling her plant-based baked goods to 15 area retailers and farmers’ markets for six years. “I think vegan food, whatever neighborhood it’s in, is a destination point,” Alper said. “The people who want it will check it out wherever it is.” Betty Bot features a menu of both indulgent and cleansing items such as hamentashen, smoothies made with pumpkin-seed milk, cupcakes, chickpea-based flatbreads with vegan cheese spreads, and a selection of gluten-free baked toasts. Fellow vegan bakery Pie Pie My Darling is looking for a new space to open in the Chicago area in the coming months.