Baking & Snack - May 2024 - 23

OPERATIONS
Anthony & Sons Bakery
a passion for
Anthony & Sons Bakery's creative spirit has kept the company growing with
no sign of slowing down with its latest venture, The Avocado Bread Co.
by Charlotte Atchley
B
Built on tradition but not stuck in it, Anthony & Sons
Bakery, Denville, NJ, is a classic Italian family-owned
bakery. Founded in 1984 by Anthony Dattolo and his
two sons, Baldo and Joey, Anthony & Sons has pivoted
and evolved to remain relevant with its most recent innovation,
avocado bread. This has kept the company in a
place of growth, and Baldo Dattolo, president and chief
executive officer, attributes that to their passion and
their family values.
" We're still passionate, and we have an innovative spirit, "
he said. " The avocado bread is a long way from our
beginnings, but it really came from a place of passion. "
Yes, avocado bread, or bread that has avocado baked
right into it. Throughout Anthony & Sons' history, the
company has pivoted from fresh to frozen, from foodservice
customers to retail. But the most innovative
move must be the avocado bread the bakery debuted
a year and a half ago under a new brand: The Avocado
Bread Co. Inventing a completely new variety of sliced
bread may seem risky, but the well-documented popularity
of avocado toast had the Anthony & Sons team
confident to take the leap. The gamble has paid off as this
latest innovation is poised to overtake the conventional
demi-baguette as Anthony & Sons' No. 1 seller within
the next year.
" It's creating a traffic jam on our production room
floor, " Baldo Dattolo said, laughing.
The company will debut two line extensions for The
Avocado Bread Co. at this year's International DairyDeli-Bakery
Association (IDDBA) conference as well as
its Italian Classic line.
The company's passion for baking and innovating
as well as its size has allowed it to remain nimble and
creative. Ben Rizzitello II, vice president, sales and marketing,
pointed out that Anthony & Sons is big enough
to serve its large customers with its 65,000 square-foot
facility and five production lines, but it's small enough to
innovate quickly.
" We can turn around an item based on a request without
hesitation, " he said.
This foundation of passion, innovation and quality
bread has kept Anthony & Sons growing for 40 years, and
the company is looking ahead to even greater growth.
Who is Anthony & Sons?
Anthony Dattolo immigrated to the United States from
his native Italy in 1952. The elder Dattolo was born
in Alcamo in northwestern Sicily. In the beginning,
Anthony Dattolo focused on what he knew best: fresh
Italian artisan breads and rolls.
" We started as an Italian bakery with a focus on long
fermentation, " Baldo Dattolo said. " Dad and I were
making the bread. I was baking 12 hours a day, and my
brother Joey [now vice president] was selling. "
The passion came early for young Baldo Dattolo. He
started baking when he was 14, and even then, the craft,
art and science left an indelible mark.
" I instantly loved seeing a product you created yourself
and scoring it by hand, " he said. " That left an impression
on me: the creativity of making something new, seeing the
quality of something I made with my hands, immediately. "
That passion for the craft and their focus on tradition
www.bakingbusiness.com / May 2024 Baking & Snack 23
The Avocado Bread Co.
is the brainchild of Ben
Rizzitello II (left), vice
president of sales and
marketing, and Baldo
Dattolo, president and CEO
of Anthony & Sons Bakery.
Photos by Eugene Krasnaok Photography
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
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