Publican Quality Bread, the bakery that provides delicious baked goods for dozens of shops and restaurants in Chicago, is opening a new cafe at 1759 W. Grand Ave.
The new 4,200 square-foot location is currently operating as a bakery, where the company produces about 16,000 pounds of dough every week, according to Eater Chicago. Chief baker Greg Wade, who has been with the company since its inception in 2014, says the cafe will open in April or May 2022. Customers can expect about two dozen chairs in this new eating area, where sandwiches, pastries, and drinks can be enjoyed.
Wade started making loaves of bread in the basement of Publican Quality Meats, using a combination of Warthog, Turkey Red, and Red Fife wheat known as WTF. Since then, the company has become the sole provider of baked goods for all of the One Off Hospitality projects, which includes Publican and Avec and dozens of other restaurants. Despite eight years of success in Chicago, Publican Quality Bread has never had the opportunity to serve customers face to face.
The new cafe will allow the James Beard award-winning company to connect with its guests on a more personal level. Wade tells Eater that he is most excited to introduce a new line of sandwiches and savory snacks. Every weekday customers can expect trays of Roman pizza crust stuffed with various combinations of meat, cheese, and preserves. Other new items will be the tartines on thick-crust marbled rye toast, grab-and-go croissant options, and salads packed with grains and seasonal vegetables.
