Morton Grove’s newest bakery owner learned his craft in a multilingual kitchen.
“I worked under a French pastry chef at a French bakery in Glencoe,” said Jorge Santizo. “His toughness made a difference for me. He spoke French. I spoke Spanish, so we could not understand each other. I just followed his lead (working the ovens).”
Everything that Guatemalan native Santizo learned in 30 years in the bakery business is now being applied in Ganache, which had its grand opening Oct. 22 in the former Maier’s Bakery storefront at 9328 Waukegan Road, Morton Grove. Ganache, a type of French cake frosting, is appropriate as Santizo aims to make European-style cakes his specialty.
A steady stream of curious customers came into Ganache for its opening, greeted by display racks filed with chocolate cakes, green princess tortes, cannolis, eclairs, fruit tarts, coffee cakes and seasonal smiley-face cookies. More sugary inventory will be coming soon as Santizo builds up his business, against some retail bakery headwinds.
“I’m one of the crazy ones opening a (retail) business,” Rogers Park resident Santizo said of an industry where neighborhood bakeries like Maier’s and Dinkel’s in Chicago have closed while online companies have tried to horn into the cakes-and-cookies supply chain. But Santizo said he had to try, with baking in his blood.
“I still trust the idea of an old-school bakery and my skills,” he said. “I love to bake. I love to see the smiles of the customers.”
Santizo had opened his first bakery at Montrose and Damen Avenues in Chicago in 2007, but lost his lease when new owners opted to not have tenants. He then worked at the now-shuttered Swedish Bakery in the Andersonville neighborhood, and then was general manager of another bakery he declined to identify.
He heard about the vacant storefront after Maier’s closed. He went on a vacation to Guatemala when he got his final epiphany.
“I texted the owner of the property to save the space for me,” he said. He began planning for Ganache a year ago.
Explaining his new business while sitting on a bench outside the bakery on the summer-like day for his grand opening, Santizo smiled when he spotted a mother and her two sons entering his store. That was bound to be a decent sale.
So were the contents of a bag held by 20-year Morton Grove resident Rosemarie Alioto, who used to patronize Maier’s. It contained fresh torte for herself, cookies for her grandchildren and apple slices.
“I’m very happy to have a local bakery in Morton Grove,” Alioto said. “Otherwise, you’d have to go to Mariano’s or Jewel. I’m sad Maier’s is gone. We have to support family-owned businesses in Morton Grove.
“Everything in here looks amazing.”
With experience in French and Swedish bakeries, Santizo will feature products of those baking-strong cultures. A huge plate of cannolis proved he’ll include Italian pastries. He will take requests for other European-style delicacies from customers, and will try to put his own touches on the recipe.
“All I need is to Google it,” he said.
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For now, Santizo will not carry gluten-free products despite fielding some requests. However, as he establishes his business, he will “look into” gluten-free. He also will offer his own brand of coffee.
Son Steven Santizo is finishing up Ganache’s web site. The elder Santizo hired his initial staff from people he knew from the baking business, but plans to take on additional workers. Those interested in jobs can contact him at the bakery.
Ganache hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Santizo said he will consider Sunday hours in the future.