Dinkel’s Bakery to close after 100 years on city’s North Side

“No one lives forever,” Norman Dinkel said. “It’s a bittersweet time.”

SHARE Dinkel’s Bakery to close after 100 years on city’s North Side
Dinkel’s Bakery, at 3329 N. Lincoln Ave. in the Lake View neighborhood, will be closing on April 30 after 100 years of operation.|

Dinkel’s Bakery, at 3329 N. Lincoln Ave. in the Lake View neighborhood, will be closing on April 30 after 100 years of operation.|

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

After 100 years on the North Side, the Dinkel family announced Tuesday it has made the difficult decision to close its beloved bakery. 

Dinkel’s Bakery, 3329 N Lincoln Ave., founded in 1922, has been in the family for three generations. There were rumors of it closing in recent years, but current President Norm Dinkel decided the time has finally come, setting April 30 as the last day of operation.

“No one lives forever,” Dinkel said. “It’s a bittersweet time, but it is what it is.” 

Dinkel, 79, says he has helped the business longer than any of his relatives — “My grandfather, my father — they would say, ‘Hey pal, it's time to move on.”

Dinkel was overwhelmed by the immediate outpouring of support following news of the closure. “A lot of sad people today in Chicago,” Dinkel said as he looked out around the store. 

“I’ll miss my staff; I’ll miss my products,” Dinkel said. “You can travel to about any bakery in the country — I still think we’re one of the top dogs.”

Mary Kaufman was in shock when she saw the sign in front of the store announcing the impending closure. She stops by the bakery at least three times a week. 

Kaufman and her family have lived in the neighborhood for decades. Her grandparents even went to school with Joseph Dinkel at nearby St. Andrew’s, she said. 

Every one of her birthday cakes, since age 1, has been a Dinkel’s cake. 

“You just can’t get this stuff anywhere else,” Kaufman said. 

Norman Dinkel, owner of Dinkel’s Bakery, stands in his shop Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Dinkel’s Bakery will be closing April 30 after at least 100 years in business.

Norman Dinkel, owner of Dinkel’s Bakery, stands in his shop Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Dinkel’s Bakery will be closing April 30 after at least 100 years in business.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

As the bakery neared closing time Tuesday, crowds continued to file into the store. Little kids jumped with excitement as they walked in. 

Erin Chen brought in her two sons, 4 and 5, for sugar cookies after a successful parent-teacher conference. 

“I told them Dinkel’s was going to close, and they were really upset — they wanted to know why,” Chen said. “And I told them 100 years is a long time.”

Philip O’Reilly has worked at Dinkel’s for eight of those years, coming to the shop right after high school. 

O’Reilly was devastated to learn of the closing but happy Dinkel’s will be able to go out on its own terms. 

“It’s a somber note, but we're going out with a bang instead of a whimper,” O’Reilly said.  “Everyone will come in here every day until we close. … It’s a last chance to make people smile.”

Customers place orders at Dinkel’s Bakery on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Dinkel’s will be closing its doors on April 30.

Customers place orders at Dinkel’s Bakery on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Dinkel’s Bakery will be closing its doors on April 30.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

The Latest
Another federal judge in Chicago who also has dismissed gun cases based on the same Supreme Court ruling says the high court’s decision in what’s known as the Bruen case will “inevitably lead to more gun violence, more dead citizens and more devastated communities.”
The way inflation is measured masks certain costs that add to the prices that consumers pay every day. Not surprisingly, higher costs mean lower consumer confidence, no matter what Americans are told about an improving economy.
With Easter around the corner, chocolate makers and food businesses are feeling the impact of soaring global cocoa prices and it’s also hitting consumers.
Despite getting into foul trouble, which limited him to just six minutes in the second half, Shannon finished with 29 points, five rebounds and two assists.