Bruno's Italian Bake Shop expands into NJ (slideshow)

Kimberly Redmond//November 15, 2022

A popular Staten Island bakery is expanding into New Jersey just in time for the holidays.

Known for its Italian pastries, cookies and cakes, Bruno’s Italian Bake Shop is set to hold a soft opening of its new location at 356 W. Main St. in Freehold Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.

Its offerings include classics such as filled-per-order Sicilian cannoli, lobster tails, seven-layer rainbow cookies and biscotti, as well as special occasion custom cakes made to order.

For the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Bruno’s will have a selection of homemade pies (pecan, pumpkin, chocolate custard, apple, apple crumb, blueberry, cherry, lemon meringue and coconut) and seasonal bomboloni, an Italian-styled doughnut stuffed with sweet and savory fillings.

Other seasonal goodies include panettone, a Milanese Italian sweet bread, in a variety of flavors (limoncello, frutta di bosco, pistachio, fig, The Biagio and chocolate). The pandoro, another Italian sweetbread, crafted in classic, Nutella, il bossola, and Genovese will also be featured.

Customers are urged to order early as the bakery says items often sell out during the holidays.

Offering Italian and French desserts, the bakery has been owned and operated by the Settepani family since 1973.

The new location will be run by Joseph Settepani, a pastry chef and third place winner on The Food Network’s “Sweet Genius” in 2012, and his wife and fellow pastry chef Daniela Settepani, while his sister, Fina Pulaj, will oversee special events.

By spring 2023, Bruno’s in Freehold plans to begin offering homemade seasonal gelato in a space attached to its bakery.