While Hoboken is constantly changing, there are few spots that have stayed exactly the same from when they first opened — and Dom’s Bakery was one of them. Dom’s is an old-Hoboken favorite, and it has been serving bread to town since the early 1900s and a favorite of Frank Sinatra’s, tucked away at 506 Grand Street in the Mile Square. On Saturday, January 21, 2023, the owners announced Dom’s Bakery’s closure, as the owners Dom and Flo are retiring in late January.
The Closing
On Saturday, January 21st, the bakery took to its Facebook page to share the news of Dom and Flo’s retirement, sharing, “As many of you know, we have made the decision to close this chapter of our lives. We are beyond thankfully to the entire Hoboken community for your lasting support and loyalty during our past 43 years of business. We invite you all to stop in for a celebration and one last loaf this upcoming Saturday, 1/28 from 2-4PM. We look forward to seeing each one of you for our final goodbye. With love, Dom and Flo.”
Comments poured in, with locals sharing their sentiments and well wishes for the duo’s retirement, and all the while expressing their sadness of such a Hoboken institution closing. It is unconfirmed if another business will be taking over the space at this time.
If you’re unfamiliar with Dom’s, shame shame shame, but let’s take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?
The History
Dom’s Bakery first opened in 1979 at 5th Street between Adams and Jefferson. In 1988, Dom and Flo Castelitto bought the new location just around the corner at 506 Grand — where they have been baking bread ever since. The space was already a bakery, owned by Castelittos as well. There is a picture on the wall of the previous owners outside of the front which reads “506 Bread,” pictured above.
Dom himself came to Hoboken at the age of 12 from Naples, Italy. He was raised in Hoboken, but has since moved to Secaucus. However, he still made it to work daily and often comes in at 4:00AM to bake. There are other bakers who do a good portion of the baking, but occasionally Dom likes to bake himself.
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The Bread + Baked Goods
Dom’s Bakery is, of course, known for its bread. And while its regular baguettes are brag-worthy on their own, Dom and his crew are whipping up a bunch of other delectable creations — fresh focaccia bread with homemade sauce, pepperoni + sausage stuffed breads, and the classic Italian pastry, sfogliatella.
Sfogliatella right out of the hot oven
During the holidays, Dom’s makes another Italian classic called Easter bread. There is a sweet version with sprinkles and a savory one made with pepper.
The Mile-Square Reputation
True story: Even if you haven’t actually been to Dom’s, you’ve definitely eaten the bread. Dom’s has delivered bread to Leo’s, Lisa’s Deli, Vito’s Deli, Andrea Salumeria, Luca Brasi’s, Dino + Harry’s Steakhouse, Augustino’s, Elysian Cafe, and Johnny Pepperoni just to name a few.
The Frank Connection
When Frank Sinatra was still alive and living in California, he actually had Dom ship bread to him and his favorite local restaurant on the West Coast.
“We would ship it out from Newark Airport to California where he and other famous actors like Lucille Ball and Dean Martin ate,” Dom proudly told us.
Old Hoboken Meets New Hoboken
Dom shared with us during our visit that there are quite a mix of customers who come in daily: some generations-old residents who have been going there for decades and a bunch of newcomers as well. He even told us that some of his original Hoboken customers who moved out of town still come back for bread.
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Hours
Dom’s current hours till closing are still the same. The bakery is open from 4:00AM-5:00PM daily, except for Sundays when they close at 1:00PM.
Dom’s bakery is a true Hoboken gem and if you haven’t been yet, you should definitely stop in, say hi to Dom, and of course, enjoy some fantastic homemade breads before it’s too late.
