DeLuca family brings fresh face to old bakery

All of the cookies, like these thumbprints, in DeLuca’s Bakery are baked in-house by Nancy DeLuca. Photo by Leah Devorak.

By: Asia Buckley

Victor and Nancy DeLuca have turned their passion into a livelihood.

Born in Naples, Italy, Victor began work as a bread baker at the age of 16. Fifty years later, he is “semi-retired” but can still be found at 546 Brookline Blvd. on a near-daily basis.

DeLuca is not a name the town has known for long, but is surely one that will be embraced. Last October, Victor and his wife Nancy, along with their two sons Bart and Robert, purchased a bakery formerly owned by the Kribel family.

The DeLucas had been searching for a bakery to buy for the past 10 years. Bart explained that it was more practical to buy a bakery that had been in business rather than to build one from the ground up.

Because Kribel’s had been a fixture in the community for such a long period, the DeLucas did not rush to completely change the way the business was run.

“First and foremost, our goal is to provide traditional bakery products with a mix of something new and more modern,” Bart explains.

Since purchasing the bakery in October 2014, Bart and Rob have introduced some new products while still offering Brookline favorites, such as Kribel’s thumbprints and buttercream frosting.

Bart is proud of how the bakery has grown over the past year and enjoys the challenge of broadening his baking knowledge. “Bread we know. Cakes? Well, that was something new for us.”

Bread is baked fresh in the early hours of each morning and its aroma entices potential customers. Freshness is a priority, therefore small batches of breads and sweets are made multiple times throughout the day. Customers are often delighted to walk in and purchase baked goods that are still warm from the ovens.

As business partners, Victor, Bart and Rob share in the responsibilities of baking, keeping up with business details and maintaining the store front. Rob has also picked up cake decorating.

Responsible for baking all the cookies sold in store, Nancy is involved behind the scenes. She may not be in the bakery as often as her sons and husband, though, as she also operates a cookie business in the North Hills.

The DeLucas are looking to add more to the business to better serve the community. In addition
to selling fresh bread and sweets, DeLuca’s carries DeLallo’s products as well as a selection of Boar’s Head deli meats and cheeses.

In the near future, the DeLuca family is planning to remodel the store front to add a new attraction: A deli counter to sell delectable sandwiches with a selection of fresh produce and condiments.

Bart and Rob have also expressed an interest in expanding the business to include café tables outside. The brothers feel that this will benefit the community by adding another spot that is social and family-friendly.

Running a bakery is no small task, and all three men start work at 3 a.m., often toiling late into the following night.

Rob, Bart and Victor can often be found in the store chatting with customers whom they know by name. The store has quickly become part of the fabric of the Boulevard.