Brown Sugar Bakery has opened a 10,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the South Side of Chicago, allowing for large scale production in the area and creating jobs for the local community.

Brown Sugar Bakery was founded in 2002 as a Southern-inspired bakery that “weaves a tale of traditions and innovation” using hand-crafted recipes that have been “passed down for generations,” the company noted. Recipes include cakes, cobblers, pies, cupcakes, chocolates and more. The bakery was launched in Chicago’s Grand Crossing neighborhood.

In 2020, Brown Sugar Bakery received $500,000 in grant funding from the state’s Minority-Owned Business Capital and Infrastructure Program to support this manufacturing expansion, allowing the company to increase revenues and revive properties in underserved communities in addition to creating jobs. Moreover, the state of Illinois awarded Brown Sugar Bakery with a grant from the Back to Business (B2B) Restaurants program, which is designed to counterbalance losses and support job retention in an industry that was very affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brown Sugar Bakery said the new manufacturing space will allow nationwide shipping options to soon become available.