A foreboding Instagram post in June warned of Half Birthday’s demise (@halfbirthdaychi). “Sign up for a cake before I pass away,” the Chicago-based microbakery advised, captioning a photo of a white cake strewn with wildflowers, a red sprinkle of tart sumac hinting at the sour undertone of the post. In a comment, baker Alexa Linsemeyer, shown here, elaborated: Inflation had chipped away at her business’ sustainability, and she needed a break. In late spring, she’d decided “I don’t have it in me to figure this out,” she said. And she wasn’t alone. When the 2020 pandemic shutdown put restaurant workers out of a job, a push to support down-on-their-luck restaurant workers drove demand to a crop of food entrepreneurs with media savvy and professional pastry know-how. A microbakery boom ensued. But where there’s a boom, there’s often an inherent risk of a bust. At the tail end of 2022, a spate of Chicago microbakeries shut down, citing rising ingredient costs, burnout and decreasing customer interest. Tap the link in our bio to hear from microbakers on the boom and bust of the business. ? Charlotte Goddu / for the Chicago Tribune ? Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / @briancassella
February 16, 2023
A foreboding Instagram post in June warned of Half Birthday’s demise (@halfbirthdaychi). “Sign up for a cake before I pass away,” the Chicago-based microbakery advised, captioning a photo of a white cake strewn with wildflowers, a red sprinkle of tart sumac hinting at the sour undertone of the post.
In a comment, baker Alexa Linsemeyer, shown here, elaborated: Inflation had chipped away at her business’ sustainability, and she needed a break. In late spring, she’d decided “I don’t have it in me to figure this out,” she said.
And she wasn’t alone. When the 2020 pandemic shutdown put restaurant workers out of a job, a push to support down-on-their-luck restaurant workers drove demand to a crop of food entrepreneurs with media savvy and professional pastry know-how. A microbakery boom ensued.
But where there’s a boom, there’s often an inherent risk of a bust. At the tail end of 2022, a spate of Chicago microbakeries shut down, citing rising ingredient costs, burnout and decreasing customer interest.
Tap the link in our bio to hear from microbakers on the boom and bust of the business.
? Charlotte Goddu / for the Chicago Tribune
? Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / @briancassella
In a comment, baker Alexa Linsemeyer, shown here, elaborated: Inflation had chipped away at her business’ sustainability, and she needed a break. In late spring, she’d decided “I don’t have it in me to figure this out,” she said.
And she wasn’t alone. When the 2020 pandemic shutdown put restaurant workers out of a job, a push to support down-on-their-luck restaurant workers drove demand to a crop of food entrepreneurs with media savvy and professional pastry know-how. A microbakery boom ensued.
But where there’s a boom, there’s often an inherent risk of a bust. At the tail end of 2022, a spate of Chicago microbakeries shut down, citing rising ingredient costs, burnout and decreasing customer interest.
Tap the link in our bio to hear from microbakers on the boom and bust of the business.
? Charlotte Goddu / for the Chicago Tribune
? Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / @briancassella
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