It was September 28, 2009, when, with great emotion and hope, we inaugurated our first store on Christopher Street in New York. This is a story born from a dream in Tuscany, with the desire to bring the authenticity of our homeland’s flavors across the ocean: fragrant schiacciate and cantucci made with love and Italian ingredients. But life, as it often does, immediately put us to the test. On the night of our long-awaited grand opening, a fire devastated our store, forcing us to close for six long months.
Despite the pain, fear, and uncertainty, we never gave up. We had a mission: to introduce Americans to true Tuscan tradition, to make them fall in love with our products. Simone had moved to the United States with a dream, and after a year, Teresa and little Gaia joined him, making this adventure a family affair. Together, we faced sacrifices and challenges, but always with the same passion, starting over from where we left off, day after day.
In 2015, after years of success with our schiacciata and cantucci in NYC, our hearts led us to Jersey City, the place that increasingly felt like home. Moving to Jersey City and opening our store on Erie Street was a natural step, a way to connect even more with the community that had welcomed us with open arms. The response from our customers was incredible, and so in 2018 we expanded again, with a production shop on 4th Street and a small location in Hoboken. This was just the beginning of an ever-stronger bond with our audience.
Then came the pandemic. In a moment of global uncertainty, we decided not to stop. We reinvented ourselves, embracing delivery to reach anyone in need of a warm meal, from our neighbors to hospitals fighting on the front lines. The opening of our fourth store on Bay Street in 2021 was a symbol of resilience, of a business that, despite everything, continued to grow.
In 2022, we faced a new challenge: our small kitchen was no longer enough. The demand for our products had grown enormously, so we moved production to Jersey City Heights, where we found the space and tools to continue offering the best. With great joy, in 2023, we inaugurated a new small store near our kitchen, another step in being even closer to our community.
Today, as we celebrate 15 years of Prato Bakery, we reflect on every single step of this journey, on the challenges that shaped us and the joys that made us grow. We are immensely grateful to our community, to our loyal customers, and to the friends who have supported us along the way. From that distant September 28, 2009, to today, our dream has come true: to share and make people fall in love with Tuscan flavors, bringing a piece of our home into the lives of thousands of people.
And as we look forward, with hearts full of gratitude and hope, we know that this is just the beginning of a story we will continue to write together with all of you.
Thank you all for believing in our dream and being part of our story, your love is the best happy ending we could ever hope for... bite after bite!
