All photos by Laura Durenberger-Grunow

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - July 12, 2024


It's the news many Cook County residents and visitors have been waiting for: Crosby Bakery is close to opening its doors, even if just for a few hours at a time. What started as an empty lot is now home to a six-piece building (delivered and put in place one by one) with an official sign. 

The building will be the permanent home for owner Hana Crosby's bakery. Currently, Crosby operates out of the 250-square-foot kitchen inside the white church (which also houses the Betsy Bowen Gallery & Studio) in Grand Marais as a wholesale commercial bakery. With the new building, Crosby will not only have space to continue her wholesale side of the business but also sell baked goods and coffee in a retail setting. She told Boreal Community Media that the main floor alone is approximately 2400 square feet. A patio will allow for outdoor seating.

Crosby said that progress lately has been "painfully slow", but that they are pushing to get the shop open. She hopes to begin "(extra soft) soft openings" within the next couple of weeks, which will allow staff to get acquainted with making and selling items in the new setting. " The open sign might only be on for a few hours...then we would shut down, prep for the next day, work out kinks, and maybe stay open for a few extra hours the next day if it went smooth," she said. 

She added: "My husband and I have put 3 years into this building project. We want to do our best to give our customers the experience they have been waiting for, to do that we need to take it slow! We know we have a ton of support and we feel so fortunate."

Follow Crosby Bakery on Facebook or Instagram for the latest bakery updates. To learn more about Crosby Bakery, visit the website here.

See photos below of the building progress starting in December 2023. 

Pieces of Crosby Bakery were delivered and set in place in December 2023.  

 Pieces of Crosby Bakery were delivered and set in place in December 2023.  

 Pieces of Crosby Bakery were delivered and set in place in December 2023.  

 Pieces of Crosby Bakery were delivered and set in place in December 2023.  

  Pieces of Crosby Bakery were delivered and set in place in December 2023.  

   Pieces of Crosby Bakery were delivered and set in place in December 2023.  

 The roof and sign structure were put in place in early January 2024. 

 Progress continued at the end of January 2024. 

 The construction on the patio began in April 2024.

 The building sign and banner were put in place in May 2024. 

 A patio has been constructed to allow customers to enjoy their baked goods outside.