ENGLEWOOD – When Starbucks opened in Englewood a year ago, it became the first Starbucks to carry red velvet brownies from Laine’s Bake Shop.
Owner and Oakland resident Rachel Bernier-Green said business has been great, and since Starbucks opened in Englewood the coffee chain has added her dessert to 10 Chicago area stores.
“Even in my wildest dreams, I did not fathom where this partnership would be right now,” she said.
Order requests are high for the Englewood store, she said. It’s her second-biggest store.
This month, Bernier-Green is introducing a seasonal dessert: a pumpkin spice sandwich cookie with spiced cream cheese filling.
Pumpkin spice sandwich cookie with spiced cream cheese filling [Provided]
“It’ll be a fall-inspired product and will pair really well with a lot of the fall drinks,” she said.
The goal is to continue growing the business and become a well-known brand, one associated with Chicago, like Garrett Popcorn, Bernier-Green said.
The journey has been a good one and things have moved quickly, she said.
Laine’s Bake Shop will move to Woodlawn from Morgan Park this year to build a new production bakery to meet its rising demand. The new location will have quadrupled its headquarters at 6429 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Bernier-Green said she hopes to open this winter. For now, though, they're still open to customers in Morgan Park, 11057 S. Homewood Ave.
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She and her husband Jaryd started the company in 2013.
One of the highlights of the new relationship with Starbucks was when she and her husband were invited to Seattle in February to do a Facebook Live event and coffee-tasting, she said. She also spoke on a panel. Later, she was invited to chat with former CEO Howard Schultz about why the chain wanted to build in more neighborhoods like Englewood.
"Being there and learning more about their company and how much they value some of the same things we value has made us even more excited to work with them," she said.
