© Tim Moran / Patch A look at the batch of paczkis from the Velvet Cake Bakery in Oak Lawn. SOUTH SUBURBS — The much anticipated "Paczki Day" is upon us. Fat Tuesday falls on Feb. 25 this year. To find the paczki place nearest to your home or work, check out our map below that appropriately lists a baker's dozen (13) bakeries in the south suburbs that specialize in paczkis.
Several bakeries across Chicago's south suburbs, from Summit to New Lenox, specialize in the Fat Tuesday Polish treat known as a paczki (most commonly pronounced "punch-key.") We've picked five of the most popular ones to highlight here.
At Zettlmeier's Bakery, at 17016 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park, there will be someone making the treats all-night long to make sure there's enough for the intense demand come early Tuesday morning.
"We've had customers here as early as 3 a.m., and we'll be here all night so it's fine to come anytime if you work that early," owner Dawn Zettlmeier said. "We always stay open all night (on Fat Tuesday morning) because our paczkis are make fresh. It takes an around the clock crew to get that done."
Zettlmeier's, a mainstay for 41 years in Tinley Park, is one of the few bakeries that still makes "an old-fashioned paczki," Zettlmeier said.
"Rather than being cut and filled, the raw dough is filled and fried with the filling inside," she said.
It's the busiest day of the year at just about all the bakeries in Chicagoland. Like The Velvet Cake Bakery at 5168 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn. There, things begin to get busy on Monday and then hit a peak early on Tuesday, when they'll be open from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
"Paczki Day is a really busy, crazy busy, day," The Velvet Cake Bakery Owner Anna Kaliszuk said. "Everybody loves Paczki Day and we bake them all the time. We have fresh ones, and the best ones."
Doughs Guys Bakery, with locations at 12248 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights and 13545 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood, is taking pre-orders until Sunday and will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, owner Sharon O'Neill said.
At Iversen's Bakery, 12948 S. Western Ave. in Blue Island, it's also all-hands on deck.
"We start Monday evening and produce all day Tuesday," owner Chris Iversen said. "It's a huge thing, one of our busiest days of the year and we are glad to have plenty of help with our production staff that starts work early and ends late that day."
Pre-order forms are already available at Pearson's Bakery at 1 W. 16th St. in Chicago Heights. The forms have all flavors available, Pearson's employee Lesley Wells said.
In 2017, Orland Park Bakery owner Dan Major said they usually add about 75 additional temporary employees to work Monday night and early Tuesday morning to meet their customers' demands.
"Orders are packaged on one of 5 'order assembly lines' where boxes are passed down and filled by employees who are each in charge of a few flavors," he said.
Many other south suburban bakeries, like Wolf's Bakery in Evergreen Park and Fleckenstein's Bakery with locations in Mokena and New Lenox now, are also beloved by loyal customers and have been running strong for years. Wolf's will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Paczki Day. Fleckenstein's hours for the day are from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Find a map of our south suburban baker's dozen here:
OUR BAKER'S DOZEN PICKS - 13 PLACES TO GET A PACZKI IN THE SOUTH SUBURBS