An Italian bakery that was forced to close at the end of 2022 due to too many customers has found a new home.
And customers came back in droves.
Forno Tony reopened at 1350 University Avenue on December 30th, having previously been located in a small plaza at East Avenue and Winton Road for a very short time.
Billy Gushue, who co-owns the store with his brother Ryan, said demand for Roman-style pizza and Italian pastries remains high despite the year-long closure.
“We’re selling out before we close. We’re not making a small profit,” Gushue said.
While the original spot was only open on Saturdays, the new location is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The first two Fridays, the place was crowded at lunch time. “We’re constantly being bombed” both Saturdays, he said.
That kind of activity isn’t an issue at the University Avenue building (which also houses the Black Button Distilling Tasting Room), but at East and Winton, lines stretched out the door and into the plaza, leading to complaints from neighbors. . Business and Forno Tony exited after only a month.
The bakery uses two methods to make pizza from moist, long-fermented dough.
Pizza alla para is similar to flatbread.
“It’s really airy and crispy on the outside,” said Gushue, who learned how to make pizza at a pizza school in Rome, Italy.
The long, thin pies are chewy on the inside and can be topped with olive oil (pizza bianca), simple tomato sauce (pizza rossa), tomato sauce and cheese (mozzarella pizza rossa), or mortadella, an Italian deli meat. Filled with (pizza)bianca and mortadella).
Forno Tony also makes pizza in tería (pan pizza) topped with zucchini (pizza con zucchini) or potatoes (pizza con patate). Both are drizzled with olive oil.
“We’re not that heavy on toppings,” Gushue said. “We are particular about the quality of the fabric.”
The most popular sweets are maritozzi, a brioche bread filled with lightly sweetened whipped cream, and canoncini (Italian cream horn), a puff pastry filled with cream.
“These two sold very quickly,” he said.
Although they hope to expand their business hours someday, the Gushue brothers still work day jobs.
And, Billy said, “I don’t want to give too much away.” She says, “We want to be assured that we’re not compromising quality.”
We also plan to add some small tables and a coffee bar where customers can linger.
For now, they are greeted by walls covered in soccer jerseys, sports banners and family photos, an aesthetic he likens to “your nonna’s basement.”
This article includes reporting by Tracy Schuhmacher.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood handles general assignments. Send story tips to him at mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.