Carlo's Bake Shop facts for kids
Carlo's Bake Shop, often called Carlo's Bakery, is a famous bakery located in Hoboken, New Jersey. It is owned by the well-known baker, Buddy Valastro. This bakery became super popular because it was the main setting for the TLC TV show, Cake Boss.
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The Story of Carlo's Bakery
How It All Started
Carlo's Bakery first opened its doors in 1910. It was started by an Italian pastry chef named Carlo Guastaferro. Many years later, in 1964, a man named Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Sr. bought the bakery.
Today, Buddy Valastro Sr.'s son, also named Buddy Valastro, runs the bakery. He works with his four older sisters, three brothers-in-law, and many other family members and friends. A special employee named Sal Picinich worked at the bakery for a very long time. He started soon after the Valastro family bought it and worked there until he passed away in 2011.
Becoming Famous with Cake Boss
The bakery became super famous thanks to the TV show Cake Boss. This reality television series first aired on TLC in April 2009. The show featured the bakery staff creating amazing and detailed custom cakes. Because of the show, Carlo's Bakery turned into a popular place for tourists to visit. It became a very important spot in Hoboken and Hudson County.
Expanding the Bakery
Because Cake Boss was so popular, Carlo's Bakery needed more space. They built a new factory in nearby Jersey City. This new factory gave them extra room to make their special cakes. It also allowed them to bake goods for shipping all across the country. Before this, the Hoboken bakery was too small to send cakes far away. In October 2009, they even tried selling pies online to see if shipping baked goods over the internet would work.
New Locations Open Up
Carlo's Bakery started opening more locations.
- On May 24, 2011, they opened their first branch, the Cake Boss Cafe. This was in New York City's Times Square. This spot sold smaller baked goods and Cake Boss merchandise.
- On February 10, 2013, they opened their first full-size branch in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
- Then, on September 1, 2013, a third bakery opened in Westfield, New Jersey.
- Another bakery opened on November 23, 2013, in Red Bank, New Jersey.
- In January 2012, Buddy Valastro Jr. was recognized for bringing attention to Hoboken. He was named one of Hudson County's 50 most influential people.
- On March 20, 2014, Carlo's opened a location in Morristown, New Jersey.
- On March 31, 2014, they opened their first West Coast location in The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.
- On December 5, 2015, a Carlo's Bakery opened at The Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida.
- On November 10, 2016, a kiosk opened in Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, New Jersey. Other New Jersey spots include Marlton and Westfield.
- A month later, on December 8, 2016, Carlo's opened its first bakery outside the United States in São Paulo, Brazil. Rick Zavala, the winner of a TV show called Batalha dos Confeiteiros, managed this location.
Changes to Bakery Locations
Over time, some bakery locations have closed.
- On August 1, 2018, the Red Bank, New Jersey store closed. The company wanted to create a different kind of dining experience, and that location wasn't right for it. The other five Carlo's Bakery locations in New Jersey stayed open.
- In January 2019, the Morristown and Ridgewood locations also closed.
See also
In Spanish: Carlo's Bake Shop para niños
