Home-based Three Bites Bakery will graduate to its own brick-and-mortar space this summer at 999 Mt. Vernon Ave. in the King-Lincoln District.
Owner Isabella Bonello has been whipping up treats under the Three Bites name for over two years. From growing up baking and cooking with her dad, to working as a line cook before switching to the sweeter side of things, Bonello started the bakery as a side-project and creative outlet.
Then fate, better known as COVID, played its hand.
Bonello lost her job in a corporate cafe due to the pandemic, and when her backup plans fell through, she channeled her energy into Three Bites Bakery.
“Losing my job was the biggest blessing in disguise because it forced me to figure it out,” Bonello says.
From a young age, she knew she wanted to open her own spot, the pandemic just pushed things a few years earlier than expected.
Three Bites Bakery has been a Friday and Saturday staple at 700 Bryden, and made the rounds at events like the German Village Makers Market, pop-ups at Seventh Son and more, but the new, permanent location will allow Bonello to expand the menu.
She’ll focus on Filipino and Italian baked goods, reflecting her cultural background. Current favorites, like the Ube Pandesal, a Filipino bread filled with cheese, will stick around and Bonello plans to do more pastry research and tease out some of the treats that will be available.
There will also be bakery staples – croissants, cookies and a rotating selection of cakes. Bonello will continue to bake custom-order cakes, as well as Assortment Boxes, which offer a selection of six dessert-style pastries. The boxes will be a more seasonal offering versus the current monthly rate, but Bonello will continue to donate a portion of proceeds from the boxes every quarter.
Three Bites Bakery’s new menu will have one big addition: cafe-style sandwiches. Bonello says to think European-style, simple, baguette sandwiches. Customers will pick, point, have their sandwich wrapped up and be on the way.
With the bakery’s small square footage, 927 square feet to be exact, the focus will be on more grab-and-go items, but the space will offer up some seats for guests.
Bonello has lived in the area for the last few years, and it was a classic case of everything coming together at the right time to snag the Mt. Vernon storefront.
Acutely aware of how the neighborhood has been changing over the last several years, Bonello says she has been taking time to learn more about the rich history of the area. She’s been working with organizations like the Bronzeville Neighborhood Association to discuss ways the bakery can be a beneficial presence in the community. She wants to give back in the best way she knows how – through food – and be a positive presence in the neighborhood.
“I want everyone to feel welcome,” she says.
Three Bites Bakery is aiming for an early July opening with hours of 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Bonello has set up a GoFundMe for those who wish to get an early start in supporting the bakery.
For more information, visit threebitesbakery.com.
