A bakery/restaurant specializing in cannabis-infused baked goods was scheduled to open at 123 S. Harlem Ave. sometime this month. It is the site where a Mr. Beef once operated and that is most notable now for the retro mural now covering the exterior. But the opening has been delayed and the business owners, parent company, and the village of Forest Park have provided little meaningful official information about what has stalled the opening.
The new restaurant, called Pretty Original Thing, bills itself on its Instagram page as the first federally legal restaurant that features a “4twenty (cannabis) infused savory menu.” This would be the second area location for Pretty Original Thing. It has another location at 1659 W. Division St. in Chicago.
According to its Instagram page, Pretty Original Thing is an offshoot of Wake N Bakery, a business that offers a variety of cannabis-infused baked goods, as well as cannabis-infused drinks and packaged goods. Wake N Bakery has locations throughout the country including on Lake Street in Oak Park.
Despite some information being available online about the business, the business owners and Forest Park village officials have said very little. Forest Park Review, Wednesday Journal’s sister paper, reached out to village officials, including Village Administrator Rachell Entler and Steve Glinke, head of public health and safety, multiple times collectively over the past several weeks, and neither returned our calls for comment.
Freedom of Information requests filed by the Review with the village government have also not yielded much information.
However, a subsequent FOIA request of the Cook County Department of Public Health yielded more than just health violations. According to records, the state department of public health has prevented the business from opening. The documents don’t detail a reason why the state is apparently preventing the opening, but the owners of the new business, who are apparently the same people who own Mr. Beef, appealed to the county health department to override the state’s decision. According to Alisha Patel, assistant general counsel for Cook County Health, the county is not able to do what the business owners requested.
Pretty Original Thing Bakery with mural covering outside walls of building on Friday May 2, 2025 | Todd Bannor 
Pretty Original Thing Bakery with mural covering outside walls of building on Friday May 2, 2025 | Todd Bannor 
Pretty Original Thing Bakery with mural covering outside walls of building on Friday May 2, 2025 | Todd Bannor
“Please be advised that, pursuant to 20 ILCS 2310/2310-15, CCDPH as a certified local health department, does not have authority to act contrary to determinations made by IDPH,” Patel wrote in an email. “CCDPH may only ‘administer and enforce the minimum program standards promulgated by the [Illinois Department of Public Health]’ within its local jurisdiction,” the email stated.
The Review’s comprehensive FOIA request to Village Clerk Vanessa Belmonte, asked for information on any zoning changes made, special use permits granted, information on the specifics of the business type/purpose, information on the parent company, and any indication when the business would open. Ms. Belmonte provided two documents, both health inspection reports from Aug. 2024 and Jan. 2025 when the site operated as Mr. Beef.
According to the January health inspection, the Cook County Department of Public Health found numerous violations, including not having the proper resources to deal with sick patrons, no handwashing signs for employees, an inadequate supply of hand soap, improper maintenance of equipment, and an inadequate supply of sanitizing test kits. The owners will have to correct those issues in time for subsequent inspections prior to opening.
Attempts to reach officials at Pretty Original Thing directly yielded nothing. Their website is still under construction. However, the site did take requests for information. We reached out several times on the website, as well as reached out through its social media pages and have not heard back. The company does have someone monitoring its social media pages and have responded to comments from its audience.
Forest Park Review had also reached out to Pretty Original Thing’s parent company, Wake n Bakery. Its owner, Dr. Mohamed Lotfy, said the company is happy to be operating in Forest Park soon.
“We’re thrilled to introduce Pretty Original Thing, the new brand from Wake N Bakery that brings our passion for quality into the world of savory comfort food,” he said
“Forest Park felt like the perfect spot,” he said, “and the village has been incredibly supportive as we work through the final approval steps. Once the paperwork is squared away, we’ll polish up the space and get the ovens humming.”
According to Pretty Original Thing’s Instagram page, the opening was tentatively scheduled for the second week of May.
Several residents have taken to Reddit with their curiosity about the business. The exterior has changed significantly as the business readies to open. Artists have painted a colorful mural, somewhat reminiscent of graffiti-style art.