The Korinek Family - Bakers

On March 13, 1994, The Life (Berwyn, Illinois newspaper), on page 9, printed a very comprehensive story of Frank Korinek and Company.  “Just west of Cicero Avenue on the north side of 25^th street, Frank Korinek, his brother Bill and their cousin George, carry on a tradition begun in 1918 by their grandfather.

The trio run Frank Korinek and Co., which produces and supplies products used by bakeries and restaurants here and as far away as Pennsylvania, Florida, Colorado and California.

Grandfather Korinek emigrated with his family from Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic, to North Judson, Indiana, about 1890,” Frank said.

In 1910, the big city of Chicago lured the Grandfather Korinek as it did many young people of the time, and he came as a baker to serve his new community.  He realized than many of the local bakeries could ill afford to purchase flour, sugar and other supplies in large quantities.

Starting out in his garage, he began to purchase flour and sugar in 10 pound sacks and divide the goods up into smaller portions.  These were purchased by neighborhood bakeries.

Soon, Grandma Korienek was cooking apricots and prunes in her kitchen for preparation as fillings.  The all important,povidla, or prune, filling was probably the No. 1 choice for kolaczki, coffee cakes and paczki in those days.

The Korineks’ business grew, and in 1918 they purchased a brick building just west of Cicero Avenue on 25^th Street, almost in the shadow of the Western Electric plant that anchored the neighborhood.  Large copper kettles atop gas burners replaced Grandma’s kitchen cookware.  A second, adjoining building, was added to the east.  Years of hard work and success went by.  The sons grew.  One trained as a pharmacist, the other studied dentistry.

When the senior Korinek became ill, he asked his sons to come into the business, to forego their chosen professions.  It seems they did so with little regret.  At one time, there were as many as 15 bakeries on 22^nd Street (now Cermak Road) in Cicero and Berwyn, and they were all customers of Frank Korinek and Co.

A surge in the number of Czech restaurants in the late 1950’s and 60’s increased the market for fruit fillings for the warm deserts that ended most meals.  The grandsons were beginning to learn the trade.

“I’m in sales now with George, and I do the accounting, while Bill handles the manufacturing end,” Frank said.  “But as a teen-ager, I remember stirring the fillings as they cooked.”

The Korineks supply 150 local bakeries and restaurants and ship to distributors who handle out-of-town accounts.  Although the number of Cermak Road bakeries had dropped to five, new vistas continue to open for the company.

Frank called on a company in Chinatown to supply apricot filling for use in its sweet and sour sauce.  One bakery in the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago has been a customer for decades.  First Czech run, then Polish, today it caters to the Spanish population.

Apricot is the most popular filling now, followed by prune and poppy seed. Raspberry, cherry, strawberry and blueberry fillings are also processed at the plant.  It also supplies lemon almond and pecan filling with raisins, white for houska and dark for rolls and cinnamon bread.

Previously most apricots were supplied by California growers.  Today, a mix of tart, dark California apricots and lighter Turkish and Spanish fruit give the nice golden, orange color and mellow flavor Frank says customers prefer.  Apricots and prunes are purchased dry, then rehydrated at the Korinek plant and cooked in the 1,000 pound stainless steel cookers which replaced grandpa’s copper kettles.  The whole process takes about an hour.

Poppyseed filling begins as whole seeds purchased in 50 pound sacks from Australian growers.

“The best seeds used to be from the Netherlands,” Frank said, “but the Australians have taken over the market with a better product, less bitter than the Dutch.  We do purchase caraway seeds from the Netherlands, however.  Rye bread just wouldn’t be the same without caraway seeds, but ground caraway is often used to flavor the dough, even if you opt for no seeds on top.”

Poppyseeds are ground on the spot in a strong, stainless steel grinder and packaged quickly in 12 ounce cans or tubs for home use and in 20 and 45 pound plastic buckets for the bakery trade.  Small tubs sell under the trade name Bohemian Maid and larger containers under the Korinek name.

The Korineks still supply flour and sugar to bakers like their granparents did, now in 100 pound sacks that the old, small bakeries couldn’t afford.  They sell a special doughnut mix and a special oil for frying the donuts.  They supply other cooking oils and margarines as well.

“Korinek is still a total bakery supplier,” Frank of the third generation said as his cousin’s son, Joe, passed by with supplies.

George’s son, Scott, drives the delivery truck that sets out each day with its sweet cargo.  Not far from the dock is the office with a large, old wooden, desk that might have been grandpa’s.

On the wall is a wedding photo of grandma and grandpa, smiling down on their progeny, looking very proud indeed.”