Buffalo Grove bakery to accept Golden Bison

Buffalo Grove trustees had a sweet task recently, honoring Deerfields Bakery, 201 Buffalo Grove Road, with the village’s Golden Bison Award.

The award honors businesses that go “above and beyond” their everyday operations to benefit the community.

Tim Schmitt, who represented the fifth generation of the family, accepted the award at a village board meeting.

Deerfields has been pleasing the palates of Buffalo Grove area residents since 1993, and the bakery also has locations in Deerfield and Schaumburg. But the roots of this family business reach into another century and another country.

Five generations of the Schmitt family have sustained the business since Adam Schmitt started it in 1886 in Weisloch, Germany. Adam’s son and daughter-in-law, Carl and Anna, brought the business, known as the New York Bakery, to Chicago in 1911. At one point, Tim Schmitt said, his grandfather Henry operated more than 30 locations in the Chicago area.

When the business came to Buffalo Grove in 1993, Schmitt said, “I’m not sure we really knew what to expect. We were a small mom-and-pop shop and in many ways we still are today.

“We wanted to open up a new cafe and a have a drive-through and really kind of expand our offering. And today we’re really proud that 18 years later, we’re still able to do many of those same things.”

According to the village, one of the ways that the business goes above and beyond is by supporting charitable causes on both the local and national level. The business has donated and coordinated special events for events and programs including funds for Haiti relief, Japan relief, Doctors without Borders and others.

The bakery is partnered with Share Our Strength, a national organization, and donated 10 percent of all their lemonade sales in August to support their No Kid Hungry program.

Locally, Deerfields Bakery has been a generous sponsor of park district, village, schools and other local events. On a daily basis, the bakery staff provides baked goods to support local food pantries.

Trustee Lester Ottenheimer said, “There’s no sweeter business more deserving of the village’s Golden Bison Award than Deerfields Bakery.”

“We’re really looking for ways we can give back to the community,” Schmitt said. He said the bakery tries to give back on a nutritional level as well, producing gluten-free, sugar-free and low-fat goods.

The business invites the public to its anniversary celebration, 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Buffalo Grove location. The event will have food, music, and a special guest appearance. A signature cake and other desserts will also be featured.