Hewn, a Top Chicago-Area Bakery, Expands to Lake County | Eater Chicago

"Since opening in Evanston in 2013, I've watched Hewn Bread grow from a local bakery supplying dozens of restaurants and coffee shops into a business deliberately shifting back toward retail with a second shop slated to open in Libertyville this fall. Founders Ellen King and Julie Matthei say the pandemic and the grind of large-scale wholesale led them to prioritize direct relationships with customers, while keeping production centralized in their 6,500-square-foot Evanston bakery; delivery vans that once served wholesale accounts will instead head to the new Libertyville storefront. Customers even drive from parts of Wisconsin and northwest Illinois to buy their bread, and King found a Libertyville space — originally built as a 1920s electronics showcase — that fit their budget. The Libertyville menu will be a scaled-back version of Evanston’s, featuring favorites like croissants, brownies, and loaves of blonde country and whole wheat seeded bread, with grab-and-go sandwiches (caprese and turkey with cranberry) likely to roll out next year. The new location will also expand the coffee program through a partnership with Counter Culture Coffee (which provides free education and classes to baristas and bakers), offering items such as a few creative drinks, kombucha on tap, and cold brew; if Libertyville succeeds, Hewn may use it as a template for further suburban spots." - Sam Nelson