Self-Serve Sweets

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Appears in the April 2021 issue.

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By Zareen Syed

You can call it what you want—a dessert ATM or a cake vending machine—anything that delivers sugary treats with the press of a button is enticing.
If you like the sound of that, you’ll have no problem getting behind the Bakery Box, which is weaving together community partnerships, a pandemic-friendly concept, and glorious mini cakes available even at 3 a.m.
Founder Tiana Gawlak has been testing out the innovative business model of a freestanding dessert shop in a high-traffic location without an actual storefront. “I thought it would be cool to see a business that didn’t require any contact,” Gawlak said. “I thought now would be the best time to give it a try.”

Launched in December 2020, the Bakery Box is currently located next to a Starbucks at the Burr Ridge Village Center—the makings of an ultimate coffee run. People can stop in seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and make their choice on a charming, hot pink vending machine for layer cakes, macarons, and more.

“People love that you don’t have to interact with staff,” Gawlak said. “You can just go and have this self-service model at all hours of the day.”

This story originally appeared in our sister publication, Pioneer Press, and is reprinted with permission.

Photo courtesy The Bakery Box