For nearly 50 years, Dom’s Bakery was something of a Hoboken institution. Tucked away on 506 Grand Street, the family-owned Italian bakery didn’t only serve bread and baked goods to Hoboken locals — it provided bread for a handful of other Hoboken eateries and, at one point, even shipped special deliveries to Frank Sinatra in his California residence. It was that good. In January 2023, Dom’s permanently closed its Mile Square doors, leaving many Hoboken residents devastated, and wondering what would take the iconic bakery’s place. While the devastation may still linger, curiosity does not: per our Hoboken Girl Insiders Facebook Group, it’s now confirmed that a new bakery, Otok Bakery, is taking over the former Dom’s location — and it comes to us from the owners of Schmitty’s. Read on for what we know about Otok Bakery, the new Hoboken spot taking over the former Dom’s Bakery location.
What We Know
On September 13th, local resident Maren Schmitt took to our Hoboken Girl Insiders Facebook Group with a recommendation request for a local artist to paint a mural. Any new mural is exciting in itself, but many local residents were more interested in where this new mural would go: inside the former Dom’s Bakery location at 506 Grand Street.
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In the post, Maren shared: “My husband and I bought Dom’s bakery in Hoboken and are excited to open it very soon. We are putting on the final touches which will include a mural.” In the comments, Maren added some detail, sharing that the new business is a bakery “keeping Dom’s legacy alive.” As it turns out, Maren and her husband are also the owners of Schmitty’s, a popular sports bar on First Street, and the new bakery is called Otok Bakery. The Hoboken Girl reached out to Maren for comment, but so far, has not received a response.
Of course, we’ll be sure to update this article with more information as details surrounding Otok unfold. For now, keep reading for a history of Dom’s Bakery in Hoboken.
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.
Dom’s Bakery was, of course, known for its bread. And while its regular baguettes were brag-worthy on their own, Dom and his crew whipped up a bunch of other delectable creations — fresh focaccia bread with homemade sauce, pepperoni + sausage stuffed breads, and the classic Italian pastry, sfogliatella.
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.
The Closure
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 thankful 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. Dom’s officially said goodbye to Hoboken on Sunday, January 29th.
In April of 2023, Dom Castellito sadly passed away, but the Hoboken community continues to remember his legacy.
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While the Mile Square still undoubtedly has a baguette-shaped hole in its heart, we’re excited to see what Otok Bakery brings to the Hoboken food scene.
