MOUNT GREENWOOD — Chicago Creampuffs & Cakes in Mount Greenwood has closed.
Owner Emma Dearth posted a note on the bakery's Facebook page saying her shop at 3458 W. 111th St. would close Dec. 31. She also thanked her customers for their support over the past three years.
Dearth said Friday that four family members died last year, causing her to reflect on the time she spent at her bake shop and away from her loved ones. She also said the daily struggles of the business had become both "tiresome and mundane."
"I'm very content with my decision. It may be a little sad but relieving as well," Dearth said. "I just realize what is really important, and I don't want those regrets haunting me."
Dearth opened her bakery on Dec. 17, 2013 in a 700-square-foot stand-alone storefront at 2734 W. 111th St. in Morgan Park. Her signature item was cream puffs, but she also made party cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more.
The bakery also had success in hosting parties for children. Attendees would fill Dearth's quaint shop and make their own cupcakes. Partygoers would then decorate and eat their own creations.
Dearth moved her business Dec. 8, 2015 to the 3,500-square-foot shop in Mount Greenwood, replacing the former Taco Joe restaurant. There she added ice cream to the menu and began selling soups and sandwiches too.
The interior of the bake shop was designed with an array of mismatched chairs and tables, along with books and toys for children. Dearth said she wanted her bakery to "look like grandma's kitchen," and she welcomed stay-at-home parents to make the bakery their home away from home.
Dearth said she'll "go back to baking as a hobby," which she has been doing since she was given her first Easy-Bake Oven. In fact, Dearth made her first wedding cake at age 13.
A Mount Greenwood resident, Dearth hails from a large family, several of whom work for the Chicago Police Department.
She said the recent deaths in her family were a, "major wake-up call realizing life is speeding up, and I'm missing out on what is really important."
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.
