Stephanie Spear 
The retail space at 1112 Washington Street in Hoboken was formerly home to the beloved Giorgio’s Bakery, which closed in 2021. Then, plans were announced for the space to become an artisanal ice cream shop. The ice cream shop never came to fruition, but new plans were approved for the space to become a Woof Gang Bakery + Grooming location earlier this summer. As of early June, signage was up, and now, we know that it will open in Hoboken on Thursday, August 21st. Read on for more about Woof Gang Bakery + Grooming opening at 1112 Washington Street in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Photo Credit: Kylene Austin
The Backstory — and How This Came to Fruition
Giorgio Pasticceria was a family-owned and operated bakery that churned out European classics from 1974-2021. The bakery was known for delicious baked goods but was famous for its cannolis, cookies, and sfogliatella. The shop also carried items beyond Italy too, as Giorgio’s is very popular for its French pastries like éclairs, French cannolis, and various fruit tarts.
The Castiello family, which operated the bakery, is from the Naples region of Italy, where head baker and patriarch Giorgio started working at 12 years old to help feed and support his family. When he got older, he worked on cruise ships as a pastry chef, which his daughter Mary says many from that region of Italy did at the time.
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Giorgio and his wife, Anna Marie, lived in the apartment above the shop with their three children for many years. Giorgio passed away in 2019 and daughter Mary took over the business at that time. She shared with The Hoboken Girl how many people made a trip to Giorgio’s a part of their visit home to Hoboken, despite having moved far away. “Sometimes people make very long trips to come back: North Carolina, Virginia, or California,” she said. “We had a few customers who moved to Malaysia, and when they were back in the States for only 12 hours, they had to come to Giorgio’s to get cookies.”
“I am so grateful. My heart is overflowing with gratitude from everyone’s love and support. It really is amazing,” Mary shared.
The Next Generation of Business on Washington Street
The building was first sold in 2021. Michele Farrell, a broker associate with Liberty Realty, worked with the new owner to find a suitable tenant for the ground-floor retail space. “It was very important for the new owner to find a tenant that would be a good fit for the historical nature of the space,” Michele said. “It’s an iconic space with a lot of potential. The owner wanted to have a tenant that brought something local and more personal to Hoboken.”
Weehawken-based restaurateur Tara Glick wanted to open an artisanal ice cream shop in the space. It would’ve been called Brix Haus and “The new owner really wanted to find a tenant who had a local feel, and Tara’s proposal fits that,” Michele said in 2022. “We felt that bringing in a small business would be a great way to honor the history of this building.”
After many delays with the City, Tara decided to move on from the Hoboken space. Brix Haus is currently open at 210 Sterling Street in Brooklyn, NY. As of fall 2023, the space was again available.
New Neighbors
Photo Credit: Kylene Austin
Per an application sent to the Hoboken City Council earlier this summer, the incoming tenant of the Washington Street space is a location of Woof Gang Bakery + Grooming, a nationwide franchise. The local owner of this location is Kylene Austin, who shared that “We will offer salon-style, personalized dog grooming, and the safety and comfort of pets is our top priority. We also think everyone deserves a treat, and will have plenty of Barkday, Gotcha Day, holiday and everyday treats and chews for our furry friends, as well as toys and accessories. We are so excited to be part of the Hoboken community and look forward to meeting all of the pups in the neighborhood and the people who love them.”
^ signage back in June
The application materials indicated a June 14th, 2025 opening, however Kylene shared with HG that the opening would be sometime in summer 2025. As of early June, signage was up in the space. Now, Woof Gang Bakery + Grooming has announced that its Hoboken location will officially open on Thursday, August 21st, 2025.
Photo Credit: Kylene Austin
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