Brooklyn Bakery is open from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays. It is closed Sundays. Brooklyn Bakery serves a variety of pizzas, cookies and brownies, and soft drinks.

 

The prices of pizzas range from $14 to $18 depending on the type of pizza.

 

Brownies and cookies are made available through Caroline’s Catering, run by Caroline, the owner's girlfriend. The average price of the sweets is $2. 

 

Delivery is available based upon the discretion of the owner, Mike DiPaola. DiPaola says he is honest with those who ask for delivery. If he can afford to leave the store front he is happy to deliver; however, if he is fulfilling many orders or making dough he will let the customer know the delivery will take longer than usual.

 

Also, seating includes one table with two chairs and a bar area with four stools. Pick-up or delivery options are most common.

 

DiPaola, founder and sole employee, opened Brooklyn Bakery in his backyard in August of 2011.

 

DiPaola, an Olean native, learned his

craft in 1985 when he worked in a

Pizza Hut on N. Union Street.

 

Years later, knowing he wanted to make

bread and pizzas, DiPaola decided to

transform his garage into his restaurant.

This way, DiPaola could build his

authentic wood-fired oven without fear of a landlord disliking the project.

 

The authentic wood-fired oven is 40,000 pounds and took six weeks to build. The oven can be fueled by coal or wood and can get to a higher heat than other conventional ovens.

 

DiPaola began as a wholesaler, selling to other food places. After a year, he decided it was best to “eliminate the middle man” and sell his product directly to the public.

 

His goal since opening the bakery is to “gross $100,000 in sales with absolutely no payroll or draw.” No draw means he does not issue himself a paycheck. The restaurant is open just over 50 hours a week and he works 100 hours a week for the bakery with store hours and time for prep work. While he hasn’t reached his goal yet, the business has always been profitable. Over the past five years, DiPaola has seen “exponential growth” in the company.

 

Brooklyn Bakery gets its name from the New York City borough. Half of DiPaola’s family lives in Brooklyn and much of Michael’s time has been spent visiting Brooklyn developing a taste for the pizza, bread and bagels. He says his pizza recipe is even inspired by a pizza place under the Brooklyn Bridge called Grimaldi’s.

 

What sets Brooklyn Bakery apart is the artisan aspect. DiPaola uses mostly hand-prepped ingredients in his products. “I’m a slave to the dough machine,” every day making more, he laughed. He grinds his own cheese and makes his own pizza sauce.

 

Each day he makes 50 pounds of dough, which takes him just about an hour to process.

DiPaola says his most popular dish is the pepperoni pizza which he has named the American Pie.

In the future, DiPaola hopes to market sandwiches, soups and salads and get back into baking bread. He says he has a new menu coming.

 

DiPaola’s favorite part of the area is the hills. He hopes one day to build a home on top of one. “My heart’s in the mountains,” he says.