New Bakery For East Side

Site of future Poppy Bakery, 2021 E. Ivanhoe Pl. Photo taken March 26, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

No tears were shed when Amy Gorski joined the team at Spilt Milk, an artisan bakery in Oak Park. Instead, the job was where she first began to realize her dream career.

“That was my lightbulb moment,” said Gorski, a culinary school graduate who initially imagined herself as a pastry chef at a Chicago restaurant. But, compared to concocting elaborate desserts, baking felt different — sparking her creativity in a new way. “It was a no-brainer.”

With a clear sense of purpose, Gorski spent the following decade working in different restaurants, ensuring she’d have “years of experience, recipes and techniques to pull from” when it came time to begin her own venture.

That time is now, as Gorski prepares to launch Poppy Bakery on the East Side. With a target opening date in May, she’s been working hard to get the storefront at 2021 E. Ivanhoe Pl., customer-ready. Existing features from the previous business, Sip & Purr Cat Cafe, have eased the process significantly, allowing Gorski to focus on personalized updates, including fresh paint, furniture and equipment.

“It had all the bones … and the location is perfect,” she said. “I’m just so excited to be back on the East Side and also to tap into a new community … to form new relationships and connections.”

Gorski has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for new equipment and other needs in the new space. Meanwhile, the previous tenant, Sip & Purr is approaching its reopening in a new location at 833 E. Brady St.

Poppy got its start as a pop-up, operating at events such as Brookfield Farmers Market. The concept, named in honor of a young girl Gorski nannied, emphasizes locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, partnering with small farms in the region, including Meadowlark Organics and Mick Klug Farms in Michigan.

“I’m excited to get to know more farmers and hopefully get more local produce on the menu,” she said. “That’s something I stand behind — you’re never going to see passionfruit on the menu. You’re never going to see guava and things like that because I want us to really put the money back in the farmers’ hands.”

Poppy will feature a rotating selection of Gorski’s signature bakes, including cinnamon rolls, scones, croissants, cookies, brownies, focaccia and sourdough breads. Past market offerings have included blueberry tarragon scones, roasted apple cheesecake brioche, maple pecan sticky buns and gingerbread with pink peppercorn glaze.​ Gorski’s commitment to local ingredients has also led her to experiment with alternative flours, such as rye, which is used in Poppy’s banana bread.

Beyond food and drink, Gorski envisions the bakery as a space for relaxation and connection, where guests can seek refuge from the hustle of daily life.

“I want to create a place where we can gather and watch families grow, have a moment to slow down and appreciate life a little more,” she said. “I would love to be part of the morning commuting routine of grabbing a coffee and croissant and you’re out the door, but I also want two friends who haven’t caught up in a while to enjoy a cinnamon roll over a latte here — to make Poppy Bakery their special place.”​

Gorski was a student at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee before attending culinary school. Even then she felt a pull towards baking.

“I was making cookies in my dorm room instead of studying, and I was like, ‘Man, my parents are gonna kill me,’” she said. “But this is just what I wanted to do with my life and I haven’t really looked back … it’s been a ‘flour, sugar, butter’ journey ever since.”

Even when she’s exhausted and the dishes are never-ending, Gorski has never regretted her path.

“Life can be really crazy, but when I get in the kitchen and tie an apron on, it just kind of quiets and goes away.”

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