The Conshohocken Italian Bakery announced on October 10th that it will close on an undetermined near the end of October after 51 years of business. The bakery, known regionally for its tomato pie and rolls, was founded by Domenico Gambone and Frank Manze in March 1973. Manze retired in 2010 and passed away that same year. Gambone continues to work at the bakery with his family. Gambone is pictured above with FOX29’s Bob Kelly in 2023 when the bakery celebrated its 50th anniversary.
In the announcement, personal reasons were cited for the closure.
We know many of you will be shocked to learn that after 51 fabulous years in the Borough of Conshohocken, we will be closing our doors, forever. We will keep this short, as this is already a difficult time for our family. Times have changed, and we’ve done our best to navigate through the good and bad.
You welcomed us into the Borough with open arms in March of 1973, as we began our baking journey, which would eventually lead to several expansions during our time here. We loved being part of your meals and celebratory events, and we are extremely honored when you kept coming back for more. We enjoyed watching your families grow, hoping your children would always cherish that moment when Anna would hand them a free dinner roll (many as adult would journey back elated to see Anna still here). We’ve lost loved ones, neighbors, co-workers, and friends over these past five decades, and nothing has been more difficult than to experience these losses with you.
We have personal reasons for this decision, and it did not come lightly. It is now time for us as a family to be together. We’ve given you our best, and we hope it was good enough to keep those reminiscent anecdotes of Conshohocken Italian Bakery in your lives and to tell those stories of what once was, as we will continue to cherish the many memories you have given us. You have left an indelible mark.
We have many people to thank for our success, including our employees and our loyal customers. Your unwavering support of our family-owned business has been very overwhelming and heartwarming.
Some say it’s never goodbye, so we will close with “until we see you again.” We have not made a decision on our final closure date, but we anticipate it will be sometime in late October 2024. Please feel free to pop in and say a fond farewell to Domenic and Mike, who have worked tirelessly to bring you fresh bread daily for the past 51 years. It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve you and your families.
grazie millie!
More to come.
Photo: FOX29