DiCamillo Bakery facts for kids
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| Industry | Bakery |
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| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Tomaso and Addolorata DiCamillo |
| Headquarters | |
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Number of locations
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5 (2017) |
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Areas served
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New York State (local area distribution) United States (mail order) |
| Products | Biscotti, cookies, breads, cakes |
DiCamillo Bakery is a special family-owned bakery that started way back in 1920. It was founded by an Italian American family in Niagara Falls, New York. This bakery is famous for its delicious treats, especially its biscotti. You can find DiCamillo Bakery stores in Niagara Falls, Williamsville, and Lewiston.
Contents
The Bakery's Beginning: 1920s
The DiCamillo Bakery was started by Tomaso and Addolorata DiCamillo in 1920. They opened their first bakery on 14th Street. All 11 of their children helped out in the family business.
DiCamillo's was one of the first Italian bakeries in Niagara Falls. They baked bread in the basement of a three-story building. They even delivered fresh bread to local homes using horse-drawn wagons! The bakery faced some tough times early on. In 1931, it experienced a difficult event after the oldest son, Tom, refused to pay money to a group of people.
Growing the Business: 1940s to 1970s
Tomaso DiCamillo passed away in 1941. His four sons took over the family business. In 1942, they moved the bakery to a new spot on 20th Street. This location served customers until 1976.
By 1954, the company had grown to three stores in Niagara Falls. They offered many different kinds of traditional Italian pastries.
New Ideas and Products: 1970s to 1990s
In the late 1960s, the third generation of the DiCamillo family joined the business. David, Thomas, Francis, and Michael DiCamillo opened a new baking facility in 1976. In 1979, the company started sending its products to customers through mail order. They packed their delicious treats in special tin boxes.
Michael DiCamillo also started a gourmet department. This allowed their products to be sold in fancy stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, and Bloomingdale's in New York. They were also sold at Marshall Field's in Chicago. In 1980, DiCamillo opened its first store outside Niagara Falls. This new store was in Lewiston, in a historic building. The bakery kept its unique business style. Michael DiCamillo explained that customers had to buy directly from them. This was unusual for a business of their size.
DiCamillo's most popular product in the 1980s was biscotti. A special kind called Biscotti Di Vino became very famous. These were red wine biscuits topped with sesame seeds. They were first sold in 1979 in a brown coffee-style bag. In 1990, "Biscotti Di Vino" became a registered trademark. Another popular item from the 1980s was traditional focaccia bread, which they started making in 1983.
The DiCamillo family was even featured on the cover of a book! It was called Food Finds: America's Best Local Foods and the People Who Produce Them (1984). The authors loved the Biscotti Di Vino. They said it had an "unequal" taste, crunch, and flavor. In 1989, an article in The Washington Post praised DiCamillo's "Dolcetti Delicati" tin. It said the beautiful tin and neatly arranged cookies matched the high quality of the baked goods.
The Bakery Today: Fourth Generation
By 2002, four brothers from the DiCamillo family were running the bakery. Each brother was in charge of a different part of the business. This included making the products, managing money, marketing, and running the stores. DiCamillo added many new kinds of cookies and sweets. These were sold in other famous stores like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.
In 2006, the bakery opened its fifth retail store. This store is in Williamsville. It is located in a beautiful old building from 1840, built in the Greek Revival style.
