Chicago Bakery Lost Larson will open at Wicker Park before the new year

After a slight delay, Lost Larson is about to open its long-awaited location in Wicker Park on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 2140 W. Division Street. It will be the third advantage of owner and pastry chef Bobby Schaffer (Grace) for the impeccably designed bakery that accumulates hordes of passionate fans across the city. It also operates the original location in Andersonville and a stop at the temporarily closed Chicago Time Out Market.

Aida Naples / Lost Larson

The pandemic has wreaked havoc in almost every corner of the hospitality industry, but Shaffer has found that customers continue to come up for their menu of delicacies like cinnamon rolls and cranberry almond cake. He likes the idea of ​​serving a neighborhood, mimicking the way European cities rely on their local bakeries to improve their day-to-day lives. “Bread and pastry products are a small luxury that people can still participate in,” Schaffer says. “It’s not a full meal, but a small part of the day that can brighten things up.”

The Wicker Park store of the former Purple Llama record store and coffee shop will offer the same selection of breads and bakery products as the original. Schaffer gives way to the possibility that he may also introduce some special offers. While there are a few ovens in the new Division Street space, most of the baking will be done in Andersonville before the items are transported elsewhere.

There are some key differences in the new place: Schaffer plans to keep introducing the tasty smørrebrød menu (open-faced Danish sandwich) until the pandemic restrictions relax a bit. He also has no plans to present the wine dinners he launched last year (he found it impossible to obtain a liquor license for the new address), but will return the events to Andersonville “at some point.”

Aida Naples / Lost Larson

The staff has also changed a bit. Schaffer’s sister, Bree, a Stumptown student who ran beverage operations, has left the business to focus on visual art. Coffee lovers will still be able to fix it, as the Wicker Park store will feature an elegant espresso machine from Dutch company Kees van der Westen and new drinks such as mint matcha milk.

When the indoor dining room is resumed, the 1,000-square-foot cafeteria will be able to sit 14 between the stools and the bistro tables in the back. Schaffer aims to turn the patio into a key feature of the space, with front doors opening wide to create an interior-exterior feel. It will have capacity for 16 people outside.

Operations are still on hold at Chicago’s Time Out Market, the huge dining room at Fulton Market, due to the pandemic. The opening of Wicker Park gives Schaffer the opportunity to recover displaced workers at the closing of the room. Still, he says, he has every intention of returning when the Time Out Market reopens.

Lost Larson Wicker Park, 2140 W. Division Street, open Wednesday, December 30th.