Three French expats are turning the former Rhona Hoffman Gallery into Guillotine Bakery, a Parisian-style bakery-café slated to open this spring at 1711 West Chicago Avenue in West Town. Plans call for an open kitchen that keeps the bakers in full view, paired with a menu of breads, classic French pastries, sandwiches, and coffee made with imported French flour and butter. Head baker Vince Le Bec is leading the kitchen alongside founders Vincent Didry and Aliz z9 Bikard as the team races through the final build-out. The group has already tested the waters with a small Valentine's Day preview while the interior is still being finished.
Company paperwork filed in France lists Vincent Didry, Vincent (Vince) Le Bec, and Aliz z9 Bikard as the bakery's founders, formalizing the venture as a partnership rooted on both sides of the Atlantic. According to Pappers, the partners registered Guillotine Bakery Holding SAS late last year. The filings also note that Bikard holds both French and American nationality, a detail that mirrors the bakery's cross-continental identity.
Valentine's Preview And Early Orders
Before officially opening, the team offered a limited Valentine's Day preorder box, a pastry-and-flower bundle that customers picked up at the future bakery space. Time Out reports the $95 package, sold via Hotplate, included a peek inside 1711 West Chicago Avenue. Time Out also notes that the full menu is expected to feature breads, pastries, coffee, and sandwiches made with imported French flour and butter, hinting at a technique-driven, ingredient-focused approach.
Space, Design, And The Team's Vision
The bakery is taking over the former Rhona Hoffman Gallery at 1711 W. Chicago Ave and will feature an open kitchen with bakers visible from the dining area, according to Block Club Chicago. Block Club Chicago also reports that design firm Siren Betty is overseeing the build-out and that the bakery will balance seasonal rotating items with French standards. The goal is to bring classic French technique to Chicago while keeping the room relaxed and cafe-friendly.
"The bakery is just an excuse to bring what we love about food and what we love about our culture," Didry told Block Club Chicago. He said the team is also pulling from American cafe culture by serving coffee and offering a place to sit, so Guillotine can function as a neighborhood hangout as much as a bakery. There is still no firm opening date, but the partners say they are aiming for a spring debut while they finalize the kitchen and staffing.
If the timeline holds, Guillotine Bakery will give West Town another spot to linger over morning croissants or grab a quick lunch. The partners plan to announce a firm opening date once inspections are complete and staff training is wrapped up, and they are likely to lean on more previews to fine-tune the menu. For now, Chicagoans can watch for occasional pop-ups and social media updates from the team as they push the build-out across the finish line.
