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Business & Tech

Velvet Cake Bakery Satisfies Any Sweet Tooth With Its Delectable Polish Treats

What would a South Side neighborhood be without a Polish bakery?

Any self-respecting Southsider knows Fat Tuesday would not be complete without the warm and fluffy decadence of pączki, signature Polish desserts that have easily made names for themselves in the heavily Pole-populated Midwest. Luckily for Oak Lawn, the village welcomed its first Polish bakery to town last November. Velvet Cake Bakery at 5188 W. 95th St., offers these delectable delights and so much more. From cookies to custom-designed cakes,

Oak Lawn Patch: I know you baked a lot at home, but what made you decide to finally open a bakery?

Kaliszuk: I started baking at home three years ago and people really liked it. My friends and family suggested that I open a store and it took me some time but I did it.

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Oak Lawn Patch: What motivated you to open a bakery in Oak Lawn?

Kaliszuk:  I’ve lived in Oak Lawn for six years and I thought that it would be a good place because, unlike Burbank and Bridgeview, there is nothing Polish here. 

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Oak Lawn Patch: How difficult was it for you, as a first-time business owner, to start a business in a slumping economy?

Kaliszuk: It took me almost nine months. I started the paperwork in March and I opened in November of 2010.  I am the sole-owner but my family has really helped me. But it’s really difficult to own your own business when you don’t have a lot of start-up money.

Oak Lawn Patch: What was the most challenging part of the process?

Kaliszuk: Taking the loan from the bank was difficult.  The interest rates are high and you have to wait a couple of months for the loan. 

Oak Lawn Patch: What makes owning a bakery different from other businesses?

Kaliszuk:  Like most businesses, it is one expense after the other; gas, electricity, water, taxes, etc.  But unlike a hardware store, for example, everything in my store has to be fresh so if you don’t sell something you have to throw it away.  And ingredient prices continue to rise.  Just buying two pounds of sugar is very expensive.  Every week I order supplies and every week the total gets larger.

Oak Lawn Patch: What types of treats do you sell?

Kaliszuk: We have pączki, cookies, kolaczki, even gluten-free cookies, but we also do sweet tables, wedding, birthday, and custom-designed cakes, party trays, etc.  We also carry pierogi and stuffed cabbage but sit-in only, not carryout.

Oak Lawn Patch: Any plans to add a deli?

Kaliszuk:  I don’t have time because it would be too much work for me. I come in at 5 a.m. and my store is open until 7 p.m. so I’m not home until 8 p.m. We are open every day except Mondays but even then I have to be at the store baking for the next day. It’s a lot of work.

Oak Lawn Patch: If you could, what would you do differently?

Kaliszuk:  I think everything. It’s my first business so I am just learning myself but I want to change the store a bit. I’m going to put more products and cakes on display and soon we are going to sell Polish ice cream. I also plan on offering cappuccinos, lattes, and iced coffee.

Oak Lawn Patch: So, everyone wants to know, how was your first Pączki Day this year?

Kaliszuk:  It was scary and messy and tiring, but it was nice. I was up for 20 hours to make them fresh in the morning. I was surprised at how many people came and how many pączki I sold.

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