11/03/2026
The Fingerhut Bakery has a family-baking history stretching back to the late 19th century, starting with Czech/Bohemian immigrants and continuing across multiple generations.
In 1895, Bohemian immigrant Frank Fingerhut (formerly Naprstek, who arrived in the U.S. in 1894) opened the original Fingerhut Bakery at 18th and May streets in Chicago. He brought traditional "old country" recipes with him, including Kolacky (jam-filled cookies), Houska (sweet yeast bread with raisins and fruit), and Babi (traditional Bohemian rye bread, named after the Czech word for grandmother).
In1916, Frank’s son Charles Fingerhut purchased property at Cermak Road and Central Avenue (5537 W. Cermak Rd.) and built the Charles Fingerhut Bakery, which became a long-standing neighborhood staple in the Cicero/Berwyn area.
Over the decades, additional locations opened, including Fingerhut's Oven Fresh Bakery in Brookfield, Illinois, and a store in Garden Market Shopping Center in Western Springs (which operated from 1959 to 1977).
Through multiple generations—including Herb Fingerhut—the classic Chicago-area locations eventually closed around 2004, leaving former customers still deeply misses the bakery's famous Babi rye bread.
In 1946, Charles Fingerhut's son, Joseph Fingerhut, decided he preferred farming and moved to North Judson, Indiana. Upon arriving, he noticed a local bakery had recently gone out of business due to post-World War II rations.
Teaming up with a cousin, Joseph purchased that bakery, planting the family's baking roots in Indiana. Joseph was succeeded by his son Keith Fingerhut in 1959.
Keith's sons, Doug and Greg Fingerhut, took over the business in 1983 (representing the seventh/eighth generations).
The North Judson bakery continues operating today, utilizing century-old family recipes for items like Babi rye bread, Danish butter cookies, and kolacky.
