Eli’s Cheesecake cut the ribbon on a 42,000-square-foot facility expansion that will add packaging lines and bakery operations at its Chicago plant late last week. The $10 million addition will create 50 new jobs in the area and bring the facility’s total size to 104,000 square feet, according to a release from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who attended the ceremony.
The expansion is the first for the company in nearly three decades, and almost doubles the size of the bakery. The building also houses the company’s corporate offices and the Eli’s Cheesecake Bakery Café, which is open to the public.
Eli’s Cheesecake also will partner with nearby Wright College, who received a Job Training and Economic Development (JTED) Grant through DCEO. Through the partnership, Eli’s will provide opportunities for students with disabilities from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and Vaughn Occupational High School to work at Eli’s Cheesecake, providing high-needs students with critical skills to support economic independence. As part of the expansion, the company received an Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit.
