The aroma of fresh baked goods is always evident when entering St. Rocco’s Bakery on any given day. Customers can expect to see a long line of patrons eagerly waiting to buy cookies, cakes and bread, but they’d say it’s worth the wait. Since it opened 10 years ago, St. Rocco’s Bakery has served as a staple in the community.
Just before Halloween in 2012, the bakery re-opened its doors to the public with newer items on its menu. Owners John and Lisa Sacchetta resurrected the brick-oven bakery that had started making rustic Italian loaves in 1940. Under the Sacchettas, the savory bakery also branched into sweets with an immense range of cakes, pies, tarts, pastries, and cookies. However, in its first few weeks of operation, the bakery was more than just a place to eat, it was a lifeline to the community when Superstorm Sandy hit.
Many Long Islander’s didn’t expect Sandy to barrel up the east coast and pummel southern New York and the Jersey Shore. The storm did knock out parts of the subway system in New York City and inundated coastal communities with a 14-foot storm surge.
Glen Cove residents faced weeks of lingering inconvenience after Sandy with roughly two thirds of the city without power nearly one week later as LIPA struggled to return electricity to over a million Long Islanders. Residents relied on generators to keep their homes warm and supply limited power, if they had one. Sandy cost Glen Cove over $1 million dollars in repairs.
Those without power and access to generators found few places of refuge in the city to charge their phones and devices. One of those places was St. Rocco’s Bakery.
Since Sandy, the family-owned business has managed to forge many relationships in the Glen Cove community. Lisa Sacchetta said she knows 90 percent of her customers by name.
“We want to be a part of this community,” she said. “It makes us happy to come to work every day.”
The Sacchetta family has seen many of their customers become friends. And many continue to be friends even after they move out of state.
“When they come, they say okay, I’ll be in New York, we’ll meet you at the bakery,” Sacchetta said.
The strong community surrounding the bakery also paved a career path for Alex Morra, John and Lisa Sacchetta’s son-in-law. The night before Sandy, Morra, was asked to help behind the counter when the bakery first opened. Morra then transitioned from college student to one of the bakery’s main managers.
“It wasn’t even about money,” Morra said. “It was nice working with family.”
Amanda Adler Brennan, a four-year Glen Cove resident, found the bakery not long after she moved to the area. She frequents it for birthday cakes, and the occasional treat for her five-year-old son.
“They always give him a free cookie,” Brennan said. “It’s always a nice bonus.”
