TLC’s hit television program “Cake Boss” has elevated Buddy Valastro and his family’s Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken to cultural and culinary icons.
Valastro is now expanding his baking empire, commissioning TPG Architecture to design a new bakery and café in Ridgewood, NJ.
The 3,300 s/f project includes: retail area, café, “cake bar” where guests can watch decorators at work, full kitchen, dedicated client consultation areas and children’s party room. Currently under construction, the bakery will open in late 2012.
“I knew that I wanted to partner with an experienced and progressive firm like TPG,” said Buddy Valastro. “They showed me they could deliver on my vision for the future of Carlo’s Bakery.”
TPG’s design evokes an Old World Italian bakery with modern touches. Inspired by the original Hoboken location, founded in 1910, the new Ridgewood bakery storefront will have burgundy and taupe striped fabric awnings and decorative molding. Interiors will feature white hexagonal ceramic floor tile with a red border. The bakery logo will be incorporated into the floor at the main entry.
The retail area will include carrera marble counters, glass showcases to display cakes and pastries, and European hardwood cabinets to display Cake Boss and bakery merchandise. A self-service coffee bar will separate the retail from the café, which will be adorned with Valastro family photos.
The “cake bar” will garner lots of attention, as customers watch bakers decorate their elaborate creations.
A niched soffit above the bar will display examples of cakes, and a series of wall-mounted flat screen televisions throughout the bakery will show clips of Buddy and his team at work. A dedicated consultation area at the rear of the café will provide a place for Buddy to meet with customers in person or via a live stream video feed.
The bakery will accommodate small parties in the 25-person party room, which will incorporate an adjacent “parent’s lounge” with views into the party space. the party room will be decorated with black and white checkered floors, whitewashed wood, bright colors and a whimsical montage of cake sketches created by Buddy and his bakers.
