South Side's Bridgeport Bakery closes amid 'financial troubles'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A beloved bakery on Chicago's South Side has closed.

Loyal customers streamed into Bridgeport Bakery before it shut its doors for good on Sunday evening.

The bakery opened back in 1941 and survived both World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Owners said in a Facebook post that an unforeseen situation and financial hardship forced them to close.

The bakery has also dealt with a union pension fund lawsuit, according to court documents filed in 2020. The Bakery and Confectionery Union and Industry International Pension Fund originally sued previous longtime owner Ron Pavelka in 2017. The suit alleged he failed to pay required contributions to the labor organization.