Our History
For nearly 140 years, Gonnella Baking Company has been a cornerstone of the Chicago food landscape, growing from a one-man bakery on De Koven Street into a nationally recognized brand with four modern production facilities. Founded in 1886 by Alessandro Gonnella, the company has remained family-operated across generations, expanding its product lines, entering new markets like frozen dough, and continuing to uphold the same commitment to quality, tradition, and innovation that began over a century ago.
Alessandro Gonnella purchases a small storefront bakery on De Koven Street in Chicago, founding Gonnella Baking Company. As the sole employee, he mixes, bakes, delivers, and manages the business himself.
The bakery moves to a larger facility on Sangamon Street near Ohio Street. Alessandro’s wife, Marianna Marcucci, joins him from Italy, followed by her brothers—Lawrence, Nicholas, and Luigi—who help grow the business.
A new plant opens on Erie Street, with a fleet of horse-drawn wagons making over 200 deliveries daily. Sales to grocery stores and restaurants increase, eventually replacing home deliveries.
In the 1920s, Gonnella made its final horse-drawn delivery and fully transitioned to motorized vehicles. This shift to automotive transportation marked a major step forward in expanding the company’s reach and keeping pace with the growing demands of grocery and restaurant partners.
Gonnella Baking Company earned first prize at the Exposition in Bologna, Italy—not only for the quality of its food products but also for being the best-equipped Italian bakery in the United States, marking a prestigious international endorsement of its craftsmanship and facilities.
Business continues to expand with additional plants purchased and growing demand from commercial clients.
In 1948, Gonnella unveiled its now-iconic neon sign—becoming one of Chicago’s most recognizable luminous landmarks and marking its place in the city’s visual history
During the 1970s, Gonnella invested in new automated ovens designed to produce its iconic 30–36‑inch “extra-long” French loaves—scaling its signature product to meet growing demand with precision and consistency. These upgrades marked a major leap in production capability, blending artisan tradition with modern efficiency.
For the first time in Gonnella history, Gonnella enters the frozen dough market, supplying high-quality doughs to in-store bakeries.
A dedicated frozen dough plant is established in Schaumburg, Illinois. Gonnella’s frozen dough products gain national distribution.
In 2003, Gonnella opened a state-of-the-art bakery in Aurora, Illinois—featuring highly automated lines tailored for fresh soft buns, rolls, and pan breads, including contract-manufactured items and products for its frozen distribution. This move combined a modern production upgrade with expansion into new capacity, positioning Gonnella for the future of baking innovation.
In 2007, Gonnella launched its first out-of-state, 80,000‑square‑foot frozen dough facility in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, boosting production capacity and adding redundancy to its manufacturing network. This strategic move was designed to better serve the East Coast market and strengthen distribution reliability.
In 2008, Gonnella introduced individually wrapped hot dog buns designed for convenience centers. This innovation made it easier for operators to offer fresh, hygienic, grab-and-go options—meeting the growing demand for portability and food safety while maintaining Gonnella’s signature quality.
In 2014, Gonnella opened a state-of-the-art Research Center at its Schaumburg, Illinois facility, designed to simulate real-world bakery environments with advanced ovens, proof boxes, and test kitchens. This nearly 2,000-square-foot hub empowers Gonnella’s multidisciplinary R&D team to collaborate with customers, innovate new products, and continuously improve processes to meet evolving market needs.
Gonnella Baking Co. has completed the acquisition of a state of-the-art frozen dough production facility located in Centralia, Washington. This strategic move represents an exciting new chapter in our company’s growth and long-term commitment to expanding our national presence. The Washington facility enhances our manufacturing capabilities in the frozen dough segment, an area of increasing demand across the food service and retail channels. This acquisition is a key component of our broader growth strategy to diversify our product offerings, increase production efficiency, and increase production capacity while maintaining the high quality and consistency that Gonnella is known for.
Gonnella operates four modern facilities, producing more than 4.8 million pounds of product each week. More than 30 members of the Gonnella-Marcucci family continue to run the business, upholding the values and vision established in 1886. We look forward to the next chapter in Gonnella history!
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