Located on the Southwest side of Chicago, LaPetite Pastry, the closest bakery to
Midway International Airport, has been servicing the Chicagoland area since 1967.
Owner Wilfred (Bill) Goebel, born and raised in Germany, finished his 8th grade school
year and immediately started his baking apprenticeship; Living and working with some of
Germany's finest bakers for 3 years. At 17 years of age, Bill was sponsored by his Uncle,
Kurt Bunde to come to America so that he could work in his Uncle's bakery, located in
Chicago, Illinois. Bill worked there for a time, eventually moving on to Haas Bakery
where he worked until enlisting in the United States Army.
After a 3 year tour in the US Army, Bill returned to Chicago, and to Haas' Bakery where
he worked until 1967 when he purchased a small bakery in an Irish neighborhood from
Charlie Haas. Realizing the irony of a German man purchasing a bakery in an Irish neighborhood,
Bill decided to name his new bakery "LaPetite Pastry Shop". A French-named bakery, owned by a German
man, residing in an Irish neighborhood. That's where the LaPetite Pastry tradition began.
Today, Bill and his wife Kim run the LaPetite Pastry Shop. Together with their staff LaPetite
offers everything from donuts to cookies, specializing in both party and wedding cakes. Bill has stayed
active in both the local and national bakery scene for over 30 years now. He was president of the
Chicago Southside Master Bakers, and president of C.A.R.B.A.
(Chicago Area Retail Bakers Association).
Both Bill and his wife Kim currently serve on the Board of Directors of CARBA, and Bill is CARBA's
representative on the Board of Directors for the RBA (Retail Bakers of America). Bill and Kim both
work very hard to not only promote themselves and LaPetite, but to also promote new interest
in the baking and pastry industry.