West Town Bakery

"Every day from 4-6:30pm, West Town Bakery is giving out 250 meals, and bags of groceries and essentials to service industry people who are struggling right now. They just need to show ID and have some identifying paperwork to prove recent employment at a restaurant (like a paystub). It’s in partnership with the Restaurant Workers Relief Fund and the LEE initiative, a foundation from a Kentucky chef that’s helping restaurants around the country provide meals for furloughed restaurant employees. Visit this site if you want to learn more." - adrian kane

"This playful bakery and diner from Fifty/50 Restaurant Group will offer a limited selection of paczki in flavors like blueberry lemon and strawberry Nutella. Place orders online for pickup at the West Town, LaSalle Street, East Ohio Street, and suburban Wheeling locations." - Naomi Waxman, Ashok Selvam

"If you want to impress vegans and omnivorous friends alike, head over to one of West Town Bakery’s many locations because they have something that will please just about anyone. This Chicago institution serves cakes, scones, muffins, donuts, and about a hundred other things, all of which they make from scratch in their bakery. If you’re looking for a morning treat, you can’t beat their vegan chocolate or banana nut muffins. Alternatively, West Town Bakery is one of the best places to find vegan cupcakes. Theirs are smooth without being too oily, which is sometimes insurmountable in vegan baking, given that oil often replaces eggs. While their flagship location is on Chicago Avenue in West Town, you can also find them in Wrigleyville. Their River North location in the Acme Hotel is temporarily closed, but they expect to open back up in the next few months." - cyd seifert

"Fifty/50 Restaurant Group’s bakery and diner bursts with energetic vibes along Chicago Avenue. Fans flock to locations in West Town and Wrigleyville for colorful, candy-coated cakeballs and doughnuts. Customers will also find dynamite pan au chocolate, animal cracker Funfetti cheesecake, and more." - Naomi Waxman

"Chicagoans in need of COVID-19 vaccines can get their shots from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18 at West Town Bakery (1916 W. Chicago Avenue) and Roots Handmade Pizza (1924 W. Chicago Avenue). The restaurants’ parent company, Fifty/50, has collaborated with Casa Central, Chicago Vaccine Angels, and Humboldt Park health to provide 1,000 free Pfizer vaccines and coordinate second doses. Online registration is preferred but the sites will also accept walk-ins. Fifty/50 has also mandated workers to take the vaccine." - Naomi Waxman