Tony Lavoratore and Tony Cocozzoli know what it takes to make the best loaf of bread in town. They co-own the business with their wives, Shannon and Pina. “Josie, Gino and John Lavoratore opened the business together. It was my mom’s idea, originally. They ran it for a few years until my Dad started to build homes. At that time my Uncle Bruno took it over. It’s been in the Lavoratore family for forty years now,” says co-owner Tony Lavoratore. Bread-Man has been in the Northgate Plaza since 1978. “This is a good central spot. My mom picked a good one.”

The business started out as a full-line bakery and expanded into pizza in the 1990s. “When it first opened, it was half the size, and just a bakery. There was no pizza, no lunch, until 1995, when we acquired the additional space. At that time, all the grocery stores were doing baking also so we had to think of something to move the business forward. That’s when we added the restaurant and began serving pizza.” When the foursome took over the business in July of 2016, they did additional renovations. “There's a really good staff here. We have a lot of the original staff, including a few who have been here for over thirty years. My aunt Adriana still works here, she does all the authentic Italian cooking.”

They continue to bake their own bread every day, including their best-selling focaccia. “We are here every day at 6 a.m. We make all different kinds of Italian-style sandwiches. We cut the meat right here. Bread-Man is also a licensed facility. We have an inventory of retail items: all different kinds of cheeses, meats at the deli, pastas and, of course, bread.” They offer a full lunch-time menu in the restaurant. “We have three or four different kinds of pasta, lasagna, chicken parmesan, veal parmesan, roasted chicken and roasted potatoes. We have fish Fridays where we serve different types of fish and seafood pasta. We also offer seasonal dishes like eggplant parmesan and stuffed red peppers.”

They also have a full catering menu. They can cater parties of up to fifty people at their location or up to 250 people if they have rented a hall. “We offer amazing charcuterie boards, fruit trays, and homemade Italian dessert trays. If someone wants a special recipe, we can make it for them, we have done that before.” They also prepare meals for people to take home. “There are a lot of busy families and that is why we want to work our way into the homes. If someone gives us a call before noon, by 5 o’clock they can pick up a full meal. We understand the busy lifestyle, but we also understand a good, home-cooked meal.” They even deliver. “If someone wants a pizza at 7 o’clock in the morning, we will bring it to you.”