Food manufacturers across the U.S. have continued to trim operations as labor, ingredient and distribution costs remain elevated and demand patterns shift. In suburban Cook County, that pressure has reached Simon Bros. Bakery, a family-owned wholesale bakery in Skokie that traces its roots to a Chicago neighborhood shop. The planned closure marks a significant change for a business that, by its own account, has operated across multiple generations.
Simon Bros. Bakery files closure notice tied to 89 workers
Simon Bros. Bakery is preparing to permanently close its Skokie facility, according to Illinois WARN reporting for July 2026. The state summary lists 89 affected workers, and the company’s bakery site identifies the business as a family-owned wholesale frozen-food bakery in Skokie serving restaurants, hotels, cafes and caterers. The closure appeared in the state’s July 31, 2026 WARN report.
Illinois requires covered employers to provide advance notice for plant closings and mass layoffs under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity states that Illinois WARN generally requires 60 days’ notice for qualifying events at employers with 75 or more full-time workers. The state also notes that WARN reports are summary records and may not capture every detail of an employer’s final action.
A specific effective layoff date was not publicly listed in the source material provided for Simon Bros. Bakery. The company also had not publicly released a statement detailing the closure timeline as of the reporting reflected in the state data and the referenced coverage. That leaves the worker count, the permanent closure designation and the Skokie location as the clearest confirmed facts now in the public record.
What is confirmed in Skokie, and what remains unclear locally
The local impact is centered on Skokie, where Simon Bros. Bakery has operated its wholesale production business. Public business listings and prior federal pandemic loan records have identified the bakery at 4820 Washington Street in Skokie, though the state WARN summary available through Illinois’ public reporting system is a summary document rather than a full notice packet. Based on the available reporting, 89 workers are tied to the planned closure at that single Illinois facility…