The worst-kept secret in Conshohocken is that Angelo’s Pizzeria in South Philadelphia, or an associated entity, has bought or is buying the bakery property at 79 Jones Street that was home to Conshohocken Italian Bakery for 52 years.
However, we have not officially confirmed this.
Over the past month, a couple of people have told us to watch the Angelo’s Instagram page because someone familiar with Conshohocken would recognize a passing shot here and there of Conshy. Unfortunately, Angelo loves to post under Instagram Stories, so the videos disappear after 24 hours, and we never saw one that appeared to be in Conshohocken.
However, things started to change last week.
An Instagram account named Angelo’s Baking Co. went live and was shared by the Angelo’s South Philly Pizzeria account. An Instagram Story, available on Friday, November 22nd, shows the inside of the bakery, with the garage bay door opening to Jones Street. A second video the same day shows the Conshohocken skyline from the Matsonford Bridge.
Over the weekend, we were also sent a video by a reader from the Instagram account for Angelo’s South Philly Pizzeria that had Angelo’s founder, Danny DiGiampietro, paying tribute to the Conshohocken Italian Bakery and the Gambone and Manze families. The tribute (slightly edited for clarity) is below.
“…And one more thing. It’s gonna be an honor to carry on the beautiful tradition that this family did for 50 years here. It will be an honor, and I promise them, and I promise this town, that I will not let you down. I hope to be here for 50 years and garner the same kind of love and respect and admiration as the family that owned this place before me.”
So, what are Angelo’s plans for Conshohocken? As we mentioned, no one is talking. However, there is some open-source information that can help provide some insight.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Michael Klein interviewed DiGiampietro, for an October 2nd article titled “Get the door, it’s Angelo’s: The popular South Philly pizzeria and sandwich shop has a new delivery kitchen, and there’s more on the way.”
The article shared details on Angelo’s planned expansion and partnership with Uber Eats. Thus far, Angelo’s has two new ghost kitchens that focus on pizza and sandwiches, which can only be ordered through the delivery app. There was no mention in the article about Conshohocken or purchasing the bakery.
We have been told a handful of similar but different stories about the plan for Conshohocken by various people, but again, no one from Angelo’s. The common thread to each story is that all the bread for its expansion will be baked in Conshohocken.
In addition, we have heard that they will add a ghost kitchen in Conshy, which is similar to the plan for the city. We have heard they are going to create an Italian Market-style business. The latest one is that Angelo’s will bring a handful of popular city brands for a food court-type venue. Again, these are just rumors.
Whatever the plan is, if it involves significant retail (beyond what the bakery did), it will likely require zoning relief. The property is located within a residential zoning district established in 2001. The Conshohocken Italian Bakery opened in 1973 and exists today as a non-conforming use within a residential area.
In 2014, the bakery sought and received approval to expand its retail operation by converting a residential property at the corner of Spring Mill Avenue and Jones Street (adjacent to the bakery) into a cafe. It planned to offer coffee and the baked goods it has historically sold from the bakery and have a few outdoor seats. While approved, the Gambone family never moved forward with the plan, and any associated approvals have long expired.
More to come.