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Carlo’s Bakery makes a sweet new addition to the City Beautiful

Buddy Valastro, star of TLC’s hit show Cake Boss, welcomed cake loving crowds on Dec. 5 to the debut of Carlo’s Bakery in The Florida Mall. This is the bakery’s first location in Florida and the 12th location for the New Jersey-based chain.
Grace Faugno, Valastro’s older sister who also stars on the show welcomed us to Carlo’s. She opened the doors of the bakery where we were met with smells and sights of pure baked good gold.
“We’re ready to bring Orlando what it needs for the holidays,” said Faugno. She filled us in on some of the scrumptious signature pastries including the cannoli, a Carlo’s classic, and the lobster tails. She says the store flow is wonderful and the response in Orlando is overwhelming and beyond what was expected.
Some customers who eagerly waited in line to get in on the deliciousness went to great lengths to satisfy their sweet tooth. Diane Evans, who drove all the way from Delray Beach, Fla. says she was born and raised in New Jersey, but had never been to Carlo’s back home. She became an instant fan of the show and bakery chain when she began to tune in about six months ago. “Im a crumb cake fan, a cream puff girl,” added Evans.
Another excited customer, Sally Bowen, says as a New England native she knows a thing or two about old fashioned bakeries. Bowen says she loves Buddy, Cake Boss and the whole family. When asked how she felt about Carlo’s Bakery being in Orlando, she lit up. “It’s like heaven just opened up here, it’s awesome,” beamed Bowen. Her favorite pastry is the Italian cookies, but as a grandmother of four, she thought of her grandchildren first. Her main mission for the day was to get “something special” for one of her granddaughters who is a big fan of Carlo’s goodies and Cake Boss.
What else does Faugno want us to know? That family is important and central to their business. “We want to be the hometown bakery that you’re coming to,” said Faugno. She says it has been over a century and the menu just keeps growing. With this new location, Faugno says customers really get to see all they have to offer in what will hopefully be their newfound hometown bakery. From their tiramisu, to their New York style cheesecake and even their famous jumbo crumb cake, it was hard to hold back the cravings.
Black and white cookies are Faugno’s personal favorite, but she encourages everyone to try things out and discover their own favorite decadent delights. She says people are most excited about being able to order custom cakes right from their local bakery. It doesn’t matter if it’s for a wedding, a holiday party or just because, Faugno says Carlo’s is the place to go for all your baked good needs. Whether themed cakes or basic rum or red velvet, Carlo’s Bakery does it all and they never disappoint.

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