(Update: Iversen’s Bakery closed its business on July 16, 2022.)
The small quaint bakery has been in business for 62 years at 12948 S. Western Avenue and advertising with the Blue Island Forum since 1998. When I initially called the bakery for this interview, Herta Iversen answered the phone and said her son, Chris, is in charge. She explained that her husband passed away a few years ago.
I was looking forward to this interview because it was a small family business that’s rolled with the changes and we could all learn something. While waiting and sniffing the scrumptious air, several customers came in. They knew exactly what they wanted, as if this was a morning ritual and the whole atmosphere was friendly and old-fashioned.
Photo by Michelle M. Ryan
Chris Iversen was very busy and warned me that he will be doing things while talking to me, as he led me in back to the kitchen area. It was funny when I looked around for chairs but there really wasn’t anywhere to sit and chat. This was a stand-up interview. During the interview, someone walked in and handed him a gallon of milk, which he promptly refrigerated (noteworthy). There was quite a bit of noise from the clanging of large baking sheets, but we prevailed.
I asked early on about Mr. Iversen’s mother’s accent. She is from Germany and his father was from Denmark. They came over from Europe in the early 1950s, both children of farmers. Neither could speak English and they met at Fenger High School where they learned our native language. Mr. Iversen made sure that I noted his last name’s spelling “sen” to represent Danish heritage.
According to “A Handbook of Scandinavian Names,” the suffix “sen” differentiates Danish from Swedish. Swedes usually go by a “son” suffix in their surname. Additionally, when Scandinavians immigrated to the U.S., they often adopted the “son” version to Americanize themselves, regardless of their origin. I appreciate the Iversen’s honoring their heritage.
Iversen’s Bakery is literally a family business. Regarding standout memories of anything exciting or unusual, Mr. Iversen replied, “All memories revolve here. I was four or five-years-old when my dad brought me to the bakery around 1:00 in the morning on holidays. I brought my own daughters to the bakery with the baby carrier on the desk. That’s just what you do. When you have a family business, there’s no time off when you have a baby. The babies start acclimating to the business from the git-go.”
I asked about how the baking industry has changed over the years, which I found the most educational. Apparently, as arteries have gotten harder from too much cholesterol, regulations have also gotten harder. There are regulations regarding the kind of shortening (or oil) bakeries can use. I wondered if there were inspections, but Iversen explained that, “It’s our manufacturers that have to change, which in turn, affects the bakery having to change our formula to adapt.”
I remembered the time when I tried to bake healthier cookies. I substituted a fat-free spread for butter and the cookies literally spread across the baking sheet. Another time I used fat-free cream cheese, thinking I could have my cookie and eat it too. Well, they turned out awful.
As home bakers, we can choose what we want to use, but it never occurred to me that professional bakers actually had regulations. Another challenge is competing with grocery chains. This is completely understandable. Imagine Jeben’s Hardware versus Menards. We all like better prices but remember, we may very well be putting our favorite Mom-and-Pop stores out of business. Personally, I do not find a bakery or deli counter at a large chain store that can even compare to an old-fashioned family bakery such as Iversen’s.
There is good news regarding the bakery’s busiest time of year, which are holidays – Iversen related, “Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Light Parade, Valentine’s Day, Paczki Day or Fat Tuesday, St. Patrick’s Day, and the South Side Irish Parade. Halloween used to be better but it’s lost some of its luster. The Light Parade is a wonderful thing we do here in Blue Island.” I can attest to the wonderful seasonal celebration here. I saw big cookies shaped like turkeys. They had beautiful frosting with details in different colors.
Biggest sellers include the seasonal items, donuts, sweet rolls, and decorated cakes. Mr. Iversen emphasized that, “Decorated cakes are what we specialize in and we can do better than grocery stores.” Specials are offered regularly and you never know what sign may be displayed in their window. I couldn’t help but notice the sacred sign posted looking for part-time help upon my arrival. I asked if he only wanted people with experience and he said, “No, we’re really willing to teach and we’re always looking for good people. In back, yeah, I need some experience but even there, I’ve been willing to train.”
I was especially attracted to the yellow smiley-face cookies, which made me smile back. May I suggest that if someone you know needs cheering up, these cookies may help. I’m not sure if they are a regular feature but the care that goes into the decorating is certain to make someone’s day! With all the color, scrumptious scent, and friendly atmosphere, the bakery seems to be thriving. Iversen’s, plus thriving, equals Thriversen’s (you read it here first).
The most important part of the Business Spotlight is that we get a chance to hear a perspective from a longstanding business owner. We need to pay attention to them because they have wisdom to share and help make a better community. I asked if he wanted to share any dislikes or concerns?
Mr. Iversen raised an important issue regarding parking in front of businesses. He has lost customers because cars park in front and sit for hours. He tried to get a “15-Minute Parking” sign in front but to no avail. The police are not enforcing parking ordinances. I reassured Mr. Iversen that Blue Island is not the only suburb that isn’t enforcing parking ordinances. I could see the look of some reassurance in his eyes. Personally, I find it troubling that municipalities claim to be so strapped for money when they have an untapped source of revenue for blatant violations.
Upon arrival for this interview, I parked in the Moraine Valley lot behind the building. As a former student of this college, I know the lot can fill up quickly and a couple times I parked kitty-corner in the lot at the northeast corner of High St. & Western. Moraine’s website states “Free parking is available in the City of Blue Island parking lot, located immediately west of the building. Additional parking is available in the city lot one block southeast.” It would be helpful for faculty to mention this to students, so that customers (especially elderly) have access to our local businesses.
The bakery opens at 5:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. (Monday – Saturday). See their ad in our paper. Keep Iversen’s Bakery in mind when buying a special gift for that someone special in your life and you will also support a great Blue Island business.
On Monday, November 16, the State is requesting that everyone follow another stay-at-home practice (30 days), as we are heading into a second surge of the coronavirus. Iversen’s Bakery intends to keep regular business hours at this time. They can be reached at 708-385-3410. This article was originally published in the November, 2019, issue of the Blue Island Forum newspaper and has been updated.
