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April 5, 2023 REAL ESTATE

N.Y. bakery readies new North Haven headquarters

PHOTOS | COstar A&M Bronx Bakery has purchased this industrial building at 50 Devine St., North Haven.
By Hanna Snyder Gambini

The delightful aroma of fresh-baked bread will soon fill the air in North Haven when A&M Bronx Bakery moves its headquarters, operations and eventually a new retail storefront to Devine Street.

A&M Bronx Baking Inc. and company President Peter Andolino purchased two industrial parcels at 50 and 60 Devine St., for $5.1 million in early February.

The owners of A&M Bronx Bakery purchased an industrial warehouse for its new bakery operation along with 9 acres of vacant land for possible future development.

The bakery will move from its current 19,000-square-foot operation in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., to the 42,500-square-foot industrial building that sits on 6 acres in North Haven.

The land deal also included more than 9 acres of adjacent undeveloped land that Andolino said could be prime for future expansion or development.

A&M has specialized in traditional, contemporary and custom breads since 1945, distributing products across the U.S. and into the Caribbean.

Andolino said Bronx-style bread is a crustier, hearth bread. The company ships fresh bread throughout New England and the tri-state area, from Boston to Rhode Island, Montauk, South Jersey and Westchester County, N.Y.

Nardelli’s sandwich shops and numerous restaurants, including Portofino’s in New Haven, along with various ShopRite locations around Connecticut serve A&M bread. The company also ships frozen bread products throughout the U.S.

The interior of this industrial building at 50 Devine St., North Haven will be renovated for new owner A&M Bronx Bakery.

A&M has outgrown its small facility in New York, and Andolino knew he wanted to relocate in the Greater New Haven area.

Andolino expects the North Haven bakery to be up and running in about a year’s time. He is currently working to get the new facility set up, and working with town officials, who he said have been tremendously helpful.

“North Haven has a very pro-business atmosphere, they understand our needs and try to address them, like how to work the permit process,” Andolino said.

North Haven Mayor Michael J. Freda said attracting new businesses to town has been one of his top priorities, and he anticipates the bakery bringing a boost to economic development.

He’s pleased to welcome this family business that has been part of the fabric of New York for generations, since starting in the Bronx and then moving to Westchester County.

Freda said he met with Andolino about five months ago when he was looking for properties with broker Matthew O’Hare of Coldwell Banker Real Estate’s New Haven office.

When A&M was interested in the property, North Haven officials “rolled out the red carpet,” Freda said, touting the town’s favorable mill rate, easy access to major highways and a prospective new train station a block away.

Andolino agreed that North Haven’s highway access, facility inventory and infrastructure made the Devine Street location ideal.

The Greater New Haven area also has an abundance of trades workers, like machine shops, truck repair and welding, which are crucial when running an operation like a large-scale bakery, he said.

Michael Richetelli, president and designated broker of Orange-based Colonial Properties Inc., represented the seller in the deal.

Richetelli said this North Haven site was “highly sought after by many prospective purchasers, as there continues to be a lack of inventory in the light industrial market. The property is exceptionally well located and features a modern light industrial facility with 24-foot clear ceiling height and has the benefit of additional acreage for future expansion/development, making it ideal for the buyer’s needs.”

The bakery relocation effort is in the beginning stages, with owners looking to renovate the site for their needs, and ordering specialty equipment from the US and overseas.

A&M officials conducted a pre-development meeting with multiple town departments, from building and fire to planning and zoning, to build “a great foundation for moving forward.”

Freda connected Andolino with United Illuminating and Southern Connecticut Gas, since A&M will be “a significant customer” for electricity, gas and water.

The undertaking is an intense capital investment – a multi-million dollar investment, Andolino said – and it will be about 8-12 months before the new bakery is up and running.

But once it is, the building will be “a brand new facility that will look different than what we see there now,” Freda said.

The new North Haven facility will eventually have a retail component where customers can buy fresh-baked bread hot from the ovens.

A&M hopes to bring some existing employees to the new facility, which will have anywhere from 60-90 jobs. Town officials have offered their services to find housing opportunities in North Haven or surrounding towns.

Freda said the town does have an incentive program for some businesses, which A&M may or may not utilize.

The company’s investment in North Haven, Freda said, represents a powerful symbol for this type of business coming in and creating a positive ripple effect for the area.

“So this represents a significant new business coming to town from out of state,” Freda said. “I’m very excited about the new development here.”

Freda said the bakery will add to North Haven’s “great diversification of wonderful companies that have located here,” from health care, a variety of restaurants and retail operations, to large distributors like Amazon to smaller businesses like Joseph Cohn & Son, which sold the Devine Street building and is looking for a smaller commercial space.

Garrett Sheehan, president and CEO of the Greater New Haven and Quinnipiac chambers of commerce, said he’s excited about the new development plans in North Haven.

“The continued investment of companies into our region exemplifies that the Greater New Haven region is growing, and businesses are interested in what we have to offer. A&M Bronx Bakery is a great addition to North Haven and to our region.”

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