Fabiana’s Bakery to Leave Hyde Park After Four Years

Fabiana’s Bakery, a Hyde Park fixture since 2015, is set to close at the end of August. Owner Fabiana Carter announced the impending shutter via Facebook and wrote that her last day of business at 1658 E. 53rd Street will be Friday. Carter told Eater Chicago that she wants to concentrate on catering and wholesale operations.

Typically, this time of year should be busier for the bakery, but it’s been slower, said Michael Carter, Fabiana’s partner. The cost of ingredients, like honey and sugar, have surged. Those factors, coupled with the high-cost of rent, contributed to the decision, Fabiana Carter said. The decision to close has been looming over the Carters for a while.

“It didn’t happen in a day,” Fabiana Carter said.

Fabiana Carter is a native of Brazil and brought a South American touch to her pastries. Customers soon became loyal fans of her cakes and other sweets. She moved into this location in 2017, down 53rd Street from the original location. While she’s sad about closing in Hyde Park, Fabiana Carter said she already has a new South Side space where she’ll move operations. She didn’t disclose the address, but said it will have fewer seats. There’s more money in catering and wholesale. For example, she has a deal with Philz Coffee to provide pastries of the Bay Area coffee shops Chicago locations. One is already open in Wicker Park, and another will open this weekend in Hyde Park. She’s providing cookies, cinnamon rolls, cheddar rolls, and pecan bars for those two locations, as well as upcoming cafes in Lincoln Park and suburban Evanston.

Hyde Park continues to be a fickle neighborhood for restaurant owners. Fabiana Carter talked about how some areas seem to be busier than others, especially those that are west of Lake Park Avenue. For example, places like Virtue, a 2019 Eater Best New Restaurant, have seen recent success.

Fabiana Carter will announce the location of her new bakery via social media. She also wants customers to know they can still make orders online.

“I just want to thank everybody for always supporting us, believing in the product, believing in the idea of everything made from scratch,” she said. “I ask them to keep supporting us, I love what I do, I just needed to close because I have to think about the future and the business.”