Business & Tech

'Cake Boss' Takes Over Morristown With Opening of Carlo's Bake Shop

Buddy Valastro, Gov. Chris Christie and swarms of locals filled Market Street Thursday to welcome the new bakery.

The array of baked goods stretched for what seemed like miles. Glass cases packed to the top with every color, cake, and Cannoli a sweet-tooth searcher could ask for.

Matching the distance of the seemingly endless supply of soon-to-be consumed confectionaries at 40 Market Street was the line of onlookers patiently waiting to see the owner of Morristown’s newest – and already most popular – business.

Buddy Valastro and his family, the owners of Carlo’s Bake Shop, cut the ribbon and opened the doors on the newest retail space in the company line, and the first in Morris County.

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The Valastro family rose to fame when it invited camera crews to come in and film the flagship bakery’s daily happenings in Hoboken for TLC Network. Since then, Buddy and his extended family – along with their imaginative and jaw-dropping creations – have become household names.

Valastro calls Morris County home, and said Morristown was the perfect place to open a new shop.

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“The town is amazing,” Valastro told Patch before cutting the ribbon Thursday afternoon. “We’re proud to be here and we want to be a pillar in the community.”

Morristown is the fifth Carlo’s Bake Shop to open in New Jersey, preceded by Hoboken, Ridgewood, Westfield and Red Bank. Having a shop so close to home makes a big difference for the owner.

“It’s like (the shops) are my children,” Valastro said. “You want to keep them close to you, be able to be around them and see them whenever you want.”

Valastro said he’d likely be frequenting the Morristown location on a weekly basis, at the least. The space on Market Street is the largest of all five shops.

A Big Welcome

Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty acted as the afternoon’s emcee, with Morris County Freeholder Director Tom Mastrangelo, Morristown Partnership Executive Director Michael Fabrizio, and Governor Chris Christie all speaking to the crowd outside before cutting the ceremonial ribbon.

“This continues to show how Morristown is moving forward,” Dougherty said while perusing the inside of the bake shop. “It’s an indication of the type of investment coming to Morristown, and I couldn’t be more excited for Carlo’s and the town.”

Dougherty went a step further, pointing out the employment opportunities the high profile bakery had created as dozens of workers made cakes and goodies and tended to the shop before the grand opening ceremony.

“I know the store will be a tremendous success,” Christie said to a crowd that packed the roadway and sidewalks on Market Street. “And to have it in Morristown – there isn’t a better town in New Jersey to visit.”

The Market Street location, less than two blocks off The Green, comes with a party room and a handful of tables to accommodate customers. And despite the extravagant cakes and arrangements most viewers see on television, the bake shop offers so much more, Valastro said.

“That’s not all we do, and we don’t want people to be scared to come in and grab something,” the owner said. “We’re still a regular bake shop where you can buy $2 cupcakes. That’s something I pride myself on.”

Carlo’s Bake Shop is no longer just the subject of a television show for Morris County residents. Now it’s a nearby place to satisfy a sweet tooth. 


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