Carlo's Bake Shop
Encyclopedia
Carlo's Bake Shop, commonly known as Carlo's Bakery and also known as Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop, is a bakery located at 95 Washington Street in Hoboken, New Jersey
, opposite the City Hall
. It is currently run by Buddy Valastro Jr. The bakery has gained public attention as the setting of the TLC
television series, Cake Boss
.
The bakery rose to fame in April 2009 with the premiere of Cake Boss, a reality television
series on TLC that depicts the staff of the Bake Shop creating elaborate custom-order novelty cakes. As of July 25, 2011, there have been a total of four seasons and 77 episodes of the show.
As a result of the popularity of Cake Boss, Carlo's Bakery is building a new factory at Lackawanna Center, a mixed industrial/retail complex now under construction in nearby Jersey City
. Carlo's Bakery has leased space at the complex, which will be used for additional space to make specialty cakes, as well as the ability to make baked goods for shipment across the country. Currently, because of the limited space at the Hoboken location, Carlo's Bakery is unable to ship cakes beyond normal driving distance from the bakery; the bakery had conducted a limited trial internet sale of pies in October 2010, to test the viability of selling baked goods on the internet. When the Jersey City factory opens, there are plans to expand the Hoboken location to accommodate additional customers. The new factory will also be the venue of Buddy's reality competition series, Next Great Baker
, beginning with its second season.
On May 12, 2011, Carlo's Bakery opened its first branch location, called Cake Boss Cafe, at the Discovery Times Square Exposition
at 226 West 44th Street in New York City
's Times Square
. This location offers Carlo's Bakery's smaller baked goods, as well as bakery and Cake Boss merchandise.
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, opposite the City Hall
Hoboken City Hall
Hoboken City Hall, is located in Hoboken, New Jersey. The building was designed by Francis George Himpler and was built in 1883. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 1, 1976. The building is a Second Empire structure modified to a Beaux Art Classicism design....
. It is currently run by Buddy Valastro Jr. The bakery has gained public attention as the setting of the TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
television series, Cake Boss
Cake Boss
Cake Boss is an American reality television series, airing on the cable television network TLC. Set at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, the show mainly follows Buddy Valastro, his mother, four sisters, and three brothers-in-law, as they operate their business, with a focus on how they make...
.
History
Carlo's Bakery was founded in 1910 by Carlo Guastaferro, and purchased by Buddy Valastro Sr. in 1964. Buddy Valastro Jr. currently runs the bakery, with help from his four older sisters, three brothers-in-law, as well other assorted family members and friends. One notable employee was Sal Picinich, who began working at the bakery shortly after the Valastro family purchased it, and continued until his death on January 30, 2011.The bakery rose to fame in April 2009 with the premiere of Cake Boss, a reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series on TLC that depicts the staff of the Bake Shop creating elaborate custom-order novelty cakes. As of July 25, 2011, there have been a total of four seasons and 77 episodes of the show.
As a result of the popularity of Cake Boss, Carlo's Bakery is building a new factory at Lackawanna Center, a mixed industrial/retail complex now under construction in nearby Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. Carlo's Bakery has leased space at the complex, which will be used for additional space to make specialty cakes, as well as the ability to make baked goods for shipment across the country. Currently, because of the limited space at the Hoboken location, Carlo's Bakery is unable to ship cakes beyond normal driving distance from the bakery; the bakery had conducted a limited trial internet sale of pies in October 2010, to test the viability of selling baked goods on the internet. When the Jersey City factory opens, there are plans to expand the Hoboken location to accommodate additional customers. The new factory will also be the venue of Buddy's reality competition series, Next Great Baker
Next Great Baker
Next Great Baker is an American television series that aired on TLC, hosted by Buddy Valastro, the star of his own reality series, Cake Boss. The show features contestants participating in challenges that test their baking and decorating skills...
, beginning with its second season.
On May 12, 2011, Carlo's Bakery opened its first branch location, called Cake Boss Cafe, at the Discovery Times Square Exposition
Discovery Times Square Exposition
Discovery Times Square is an exhibition space at 226 West 44th Street in New York City that opened June 24, 2009 and specializes in traveling exhibitions...
at 226 West 44th Street in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. This location offers Carlo's Bakery's smaller baked goods, as well as bakery and Cake Boss merchandise.