Chicago’s First All-Vegan Bakery Set to Open This Summer

Vegan bakery Pie, Pie My Darling will open in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in the summer of 2017. Founder and head baker Heather Bodine-Lederman got her start at pop-up markets throughout Chicago and soon realized the city was ready for its first dedicated vegan retail bake shop. For the past two years, Bodine-Lederman has taken custom orders and collaborated on monthly pop-ups at vegan restaurant Kitchen 17. These pop-ups often result in lines wrapped around the corner, with up to 200 customers waiting for her American-style baked goods featuring piles of buttercream and indulgent add-ins like cookie dough and rainbow sprinkles. “The support has been overwhelming,” Bodine-Lederman tells VegNews. “I’m continually floored and humbled by the number of special orders I receive, and how many people come out for these pop ups.” Pie, Pie My Darling will be taking over the lease on Kitchen 17’s space, as the restaurant plans to relocate to a larger location. This means Chicago vegans can soon skip the line and grab Bodine-Lederman’s signature Funfetti cake—featuring layers of golden butter cake with heaps of vanilla frosting and sprinkles—or her Instagram-famous pies and cheesecakes. The shop menu will feature fan-favorites, plus a seasonally rotating selection of cakes, cupcakes, pies, and more. Bodine-Lederman will continue taking special orders, and will keep hosting the occasional pop-up, until the doors officially open.

Natalie Slater is the founder of BakeandDestroy.net and the author of Bake and Destroy: Good Food for Bad Vegans