A (Notre Dame) Baker’s Tale

A business begins where a beloved storybook ends. . .

Two-thousand-two Notre Dame graduate Christine LaSorda said she’s been baking since she was very young. But it was a much later in life that she decided she wanted to combine her passion for baking with a deep-seated desire to make people happy. 

“I think we all need a purpose,” LaSorda said, “a reason to get up every day and contribute to this world. I wanted a purpose that made people happy, even for a little bit, even if it was just because they were on a sugar high—I needed something I could feel good about.”

Well it appears that LaSorda is two for two: Her gourmet bakery in downtown Chicago, A Baker’s Tale,” is truly a unique combination of her considerable baking skills and very happy customers, with a dose of Lewis Carroll.

“The looks on customers’ faces when they taste something I’ve created is one of the best feelings in the world,” she said.

LaSorda’s 42-seat bakery, located in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, opened in the spring of 2014. She said its name and decor are inspired by a childhood love of storybooks, especially “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland,” by Lewis Carroll.

LaSorda said she wanted to make her shop appear like one is stepping into a fairy tale. “You tread where Alice, the Mad Hatter and the grinning Cheshire Cat once ventured all while you enjoy cupcakes, pastries, desserts and specialty cakes,” she said. 

From her website: “A Baker’s Tale is a classic yet distinctive Wicker Park bakery where the good are rewarded with delectable fresh-baked delights. Whether the Mad Hatter arrives to enjoy tea or the White Rabbit stops in for a latte, it is the pleasantest place to treat yourself to delicious and fresh-baked goods. . .”

Copywriting to baking

Like many successful business owners, LaSorda’s arrival to this point in her career, however, didn’t necessarily happen in a direct way or on a straight line. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2002, she headed to Michigan State University not 100 percent sure of a major, but thinking that something in the arts or other creative fields was in her future.

“I decided on advertising at Michigan State and was actually looking to become a copywriter when I had a change of heart,” she said. “I just couldn’t see my lifelong purpose in trying to sell things to people; as fun and creative as it was, it just wasn’t me.”

So she headed to San Francisco and art school where she studied illustration for a year at the Academy of Art University. 

“It was one of the best times of my life, but I wasn’t sure how I could make a practical living as a studio artist,” she said. “So it was then that I decided to follow my heart and delve into something I’d always had a love for—food! I enrolled in culinary school in Chicago and received a degree in both culinary arts and hospitality management.”

While she was in school and then after graduation, LaSorda gained experience in the food industry and created a business plan that ultimately led to the opening of A Baker’s Tale, which was voted last year as the "2014 Best Bakery in Chicago." 

“It’s been a dream come true,” she said.

Her dream and some early success with the Chicago bakery as well as a desire to expand have now led to a mail order component to A Baker’s Tale. Located in Birmingham, Mich., LaSorda’s new mail order business is the result of teaming up with Sava Lelcaj from Ann Arbor-based Savco Hospitality Inc., who bakes the goods to LaSorda’s precise specifications. She even hired her father, former Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda, to manage the mail-order side of the business in Michigan while she oversees the retail outlet in Chicago.

Hard work and tough academics in high school key to success

LaSorda noted that she would be nowhere near where she is in her career today without the twin foundations of hard work and academics. 

She said her work ethic didn’t necessarily come from a classroom, however. “It’s something that is hard to learn, but if it is instilled in you at a young age, it really stands the test of time and becomes who you are,” she said. “I want to be the best at what I do and I know that it may never be possible, but I’m okay with working toward it for the rest of my life. I want to be the best at something I’m proud of and I’m willing to work hard for it. Nothing is given to you, especially in the food industry, and I like that.”

Even though her initial college experience in East Lansing was a bit daunting to her: “Going from the small classrooms of NDP to classes with 500 students was a big change for me, but I never truly felt overwhelmed.

“And, of course, we all get excited about the new-found freedom to be on our own for the first time,” she said. “But with that comes the responsibility of controlling nearly every aspect of your life. You no longer have your mom or dad to tell you when to do your homework or when to study for a test. 

“I have to say, though, that the challenging academics and close attention of teachers at Notre Dame were huge in instilling standards within me that allowed me to navigate the new freedom that came with going to college for the first time. Being successful at NDP meant I had the skill set and tools to be successful elsewhere—something for which I will always be grateful.”

And even though high school for her was more than 10 years ago, she remembers certain things and people from Notre Dame like they were yesterday.

“I always liked the walkathon—it was always such a good time,” she recalled. “And I’d have to say my favorite teacher was Mr. Oseicki. There were so many great teachers who I loved, but he was just amazing. He had a way of teaching that made you excited to learn and the material was easy to understand coming from him.”

High school can be a strange time for students, LaSorda said. “You’re finding out what you really believe in and who you are at the core. At a time like that it’s easy to feel isolated as you’re still discovering yourself. But Mr. Osiecki was a great person to have teaching you at a time like that. He never made you feel judged, and you always felt like he was on your side. I don’t know how I would have liked economics otherwise!”

Feel-good business

Those Osiecki lessons in economics must have sunk in for LaSorda as her business is obviously doing very well. But even though keeping A Baker’s Tale running on all eight cylinders is time-consuming, she said she is more than willing to give back to her high school alma mater.

“I would love answering questions from students at Notre Dame who may be thinking about following a similar path or have questions about how I got to where I am,” she said. “I know I’m probably not necessarily where I’ll end up in 20 or 30 years, but I already feel like I’ve traveled a long way, and if I can help someone else feel as good as I feel now, I would be ecstatic.”

A Baker’s Tale is located at:
2127 W. Division St., Chicago, Ill. 60622. 
872-206-5581
info@a-bakers-tale.com
Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m., on Sun-Thurs; and 8 a.m.-7 p.m., on Fri-Sat.
www.a-bakers-tale.com

Mail order: shop.abakerstale.com

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy

Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.