Magnolia Bakery's Loop Location Shuts Down After Inspectors Find Live Roaches, Fly Swarm

Magnolia Bakery's downtown Chicago shop has shut its doors after city health inspectors found 13 live roaches and roughly 100 flies crawling through its kitchen and basement prep areas, according to a Chicago Department of Public Health report.

Inspectors visited the bakery at 108 N. State St. on Monday and documented live roaches in cracks and crevices across the front and basement preparation areas, along with numerous dead roaches in cabinets, near a three-compartment sink and on glue boards set out to catch pests. The same visit turned up close to 100 small flies infesting the first-floor and basement prep spaces.

The inspection report also cited blocked and poorly maintained hand-washing sinks, including a slow drain in the staff restroom, and food trays and utensils left sitting in or on sinks. Inspectors flagged food debris on mixers, coolers, carts, shelving and floors, along with grime on the exterior of a basement grease trap and dust coating ceiling vents.

A Magnolia Bakery spokesperson confirmed the closure Wednesday, saying the company is working through a corrective plan focused on facility repairs and employee retraining. "The bakery will reopen only after all identified issues have been fully resolved and the City of Chicago has authorized operations to resume, which we expect to occur shortly," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The health department ordered the bakery to hire a licensed pest control operator, eliminate the roach and fly infestation and seal off gaps that could let insects inside. The city also directed the bakery to fix and keep hand washing sinks accessible, clean up food debris and dust, swap out crates for proper shelving, keep items off the floor and repair chipping paint before it can reopen, according to the health department's inspection database.

The Loop location has failed three of its last five health inspections over the past year. An April 26 inspection cited food and dust buildup, chipping paint, damaged wall surfaces and a gap beneath the street facing doors, along with missing or expired employee food safety training. That same visit found the bakery still hadn't fixed violations flagged earlier, including a missing sink splash guard and lapsed allergen awareness training.

A Dec. 15 inspection found three live roaches on site, along with improperly refrigerated banana pudding and a display cooler running above the required temperature. The bakery discarded 40 pounds of pudding, valued at $1,238, and got the cooler fixed while inspectors were still on site.

Magnolia Bakery opened its State Street location in 2011, the chain's only Chicago outpost. The bakery got its start in 1996 in New York City's West Village and became a tourist draw after its cupcakes appeared in an episode of "Sex and the City." Banana pudding and red velvet cupcakes remain among its best selling items at the downtown Chicago shop.

The bakery has not set a reopening date. Before it can reopen, it must pass a follow up inspection from the Chicago Department of Public Health, according to the department's inspection database.