Boulangerie, Hyde Park

In 2023 a long-running staple of Hyde Park, Bonjour Cafe Bakery, closed its doors after 27 years. The storefront has been vacant since then, and today… I saw a sign hinting that a new successor would arrive soon.

Excited to see La Boulangerie is opening up here. We enjoyed them in Logan Square, and love the trend of Logan Square businesses appearing here in Hyde Park.

While it’s been better for me to not have easy access to croissants and breakfast pastries, I’m excited all the same.

// Edit: For the life of me, I could swear that I had some blog post about Bonjour Cafe Bakery. I went in to talk with the main owner/chef, Driss, and recall taking a few photos… and asking him about what he had in store next, once the store closed.

I learned that he was always interested in fashion design, and he even showed me several old sketches/photos from some albums he had behind the counter.

Killing me that I can’t find these photos anywhere. From what I recall, Driss was very done with the rigors of running a bakery (the early morning hours, the constant need to be open). I’m hoping he did end up pursuing his earlier dreams of fashion design.

Related:
On Croissants and the Difficulty of Discerning Intent
Goodbye, La Boulangerie
A Happy Surprise: Free Pastries and Bread at La Boulangerie, Logan Square
La Boulangerie Bakery, Logan Square