Today we’d like to introduce you to Dinah Grossman and Parker Whiteway.
Dinah and Parker, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After operating a pie and pastry delivery business out of a commissary kitchen for four years, we found a storefront in our neighborhood in Humboldt Park. Parker’s background as a chemist and project manager and Dinah’s culinary background and experience operating her previous business came together to build the foundation of Spinning J. We have always insisted on producing food of the highest quality, and making everything from scratch.
That mission has attracted a team of talented and dedicated people, and our staff has grown from three to twenty wonderful employees over the last two and a half years. We love being a part of the neighborhood we’ve lived in for so long, and creating a community within that community where people can come to enjoy good food in a place where they feel comfortable, welcome, and taken care of.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Of course not! We put everything on the line financially to open Spinning J, and Parker worked a second full time job for the first year and a half in order to help support us and the business. As we have grown, we’ve struggled to find a balance between work and the rest of life, and we’ve worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot of other interests and friendships in order to nurture our brand new business.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Spinning J Bakery and Soda Fountain – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Spinning J is a small bakery and cafe specializing in made-from-scratch baked goods including breads, cookies, coffee cakes, and most importantly pie! We are also known for our soda fountain, where we make awesome milkshakes as well as mix sodas by hand from our house made syrups, bitters, and tinctures. And of course excellent coffee! Our menu is a mix of classic diner fare and more modern takes on classics (an updated tuna melt is our most popular sandwich). We’re proud of the strength of our menu across the board–we don’t feel there are any weak links, and our sales reflect that across category.
We are also known for being a good place to work. We understand that our strength comes from employing a team of talented people who believe in our mission and care about each other. I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve as a team, and that Spinning J is a place where employees can be themselves and feel appreciated for their strengths.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We have lots of exciting developments in the works, but we’re committed to maintaining the quality of what we do on a small scale, and not sacrificing quality for quantity.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1000 N California Ave
- Website: www.spinning.com
- Phone: 8728292793
- Email: info@spinningj.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spinningjchicago/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Spinning-J-138061489543905/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/spinning_j?lang=en
- Yelp:https://www.yelp.com/biz/spinning-j-chicago-2
Image Credit:
Clayton Hauck
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