Joseph Settepani is an award-winning Pastry Chef and owner of Bruno’s Bakery, an authentic modern-day Italian bakery that specializes in seasonal Italian and French pastry, cookies, specialty cakes and seasonal homemade gelato. The family-owned bakery first opened by his father Biagio Settepani in 1973 in Manhattan and in 2004 opened in Staten Island.
Over the holiday season in 2022, Bruno’s Bakery expanded to Freehold, NJ, continuing the family commitment to providing quality products and services to their ever-growing customer base. Settepani is well-known around the world as a fierce competitor, having participated in the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique 144th/145th Salon Culinaire’s winning first prize for the best chocolate showpiece in the show. In 2012, he competed in the Food Network show “Sweet Genius” where he placed third. At The World Cake Competition, he placed second along with Charlie Tola. He supports many charities by either contributing his time to teach, provide signature desserts or make appearances at fundraising events. Some of the organizations he supports include Spoons Across America, the Food Education Fund, City Meals on Wheels, Autism Speaks, Rising Above Bakery, and City Harvest. He also makes yearly appearances at the New York City Wine and Food Festival, and most recently, the BID Against Hunger event for City Harvest.
The chef shares his vision for the latest bakery concept and plans for the future.
Tell our readers what got you interested in becoming a pastry chef? Walk us through your career track and how you found your passion for the culinary field?
Growing up in the industry, many people assumed I became a pastry chef because my father, Biagio Settepani, is renowned in the pastry industry. But the truth is, while growing up, I disliked the whole idea of being a baker or pastry chef! I had a sports injury when I was a teenager that made me realize I would not be going pro. I took a trip with my father to different areas in the country where he was teaching classes, and I had the opportunity to assist him in those classes. While at The French Pastry School in Chicago, I had an epiphany and fell madly in love with the industry. I felt I found my place in the world. Seeing all of the chocolate sculptures and perfect baguettes, I knew this was where I wanted to be so I applied to the Culinary Institute of America. After I graduated from the CIA, I went back to where I fell in love with the industry, becoming a teacher’s assistant for a year. I learned so much during my time in Chicago. I returned home and began learning the family business to see if this was something I wanted to take over and run as a business for the future.
I’d love to learn more about Bruno’s Bakery, can you talk me through the concept and what the bakery specializes in?
We specialize in many different baked goods; some are our specialty fondant cakes that have won many awards. We also have our amazing dessert table displays and our upcoming gelato shop that will remind you of Italy when you savor it. I think out of all our products, the dessert that is coveted the most is our Panettone during the holiday season. My family has been making this delicious product for over 40 years. Our Panettone comes in a variety of flavors and has developed a cult following. Customers look forward to having this Italian sweet bread on their tables every year. The Panettone line ships nationwide and can be ordered through Shopify and on our website.
Tell our readers about your “family” business. Lessons learned from working with family and carrying on the traditions.
When people ask this question, I always start off by laughing hard and asking if they have seen “the Simpsons” and how Homer strangles his son Bart sometimes? This is how I describe working with family. Mixed emotions! One moment you’re laughing, and the next you just want to strangle your sibling. However, it is probably the most amazing thing because in any business, but especially in the food industry, it takes a team to strive for greatness and also to survive. I would have never survived COVID if it wasn’t for my family. We probably would have closed during the pandemic, but because we worked together, we were able to survive and overcome the uncertainties we faced. The most important thing I have learned through working with family is there has to be a line of proper communication in everything you do for the business. Everyone must agree before going forward, and there has to be a line of respect. You cannot yell or say anything negative to each other, especially in front of employees, because it is unethical and sets a bad example about the leadership team.
The last and most important thing is, if we see an employee doing something that you deem incorrect, it’s best to ask who taught them this procedure. If the procedure was taught by a family member, we just ask the family member in private why that person was instructed that way and we come to a mutual agreement on how to go forward.
Carrying on the tradition of Bruno’s is important because it’s not just a family business. Bruno’s is who we are. This family business has given my father and mother an opportunity to live the ‘American Dream’ when they moved to this country from Italy, and they have successfully accomplished this. Now, it’s all about elevating the brand and making sure it will last for many more years with the possibility of one of our children taking over in the future. You never know!
Why Freehold, NJ, for the new Bruno Bakery?
During the pandemic we relocated and now live 20 minutes away from Freehold. We heard from the community and saw a need for an old school style bakery on Main Street.
What made you take the leap into entrepreneurship?
It is in my blood; I like to tell people. There was and still is this fire inside me to always be my own boss and do things that I want to do and have no limits in what I can or cannot do and be free to make mistakes and learn from them. There is a sense of joy, even though you work 24/7 there is this joy of when a customer comes in and says everything is amazing and thanks me for opening this beautiful shop. This hits a cord in my body and just gives me this sense of purpose. The other amazing thing that I truly love is that I can teach my kitchen team and front of the house team something new every day, and teaching people what I love brings me absolute joy.
What are key elements for running a successful bakery business?
Be aware of food cost! You constantly must be on top of your vendors and their pricing, and more importantly how much you can stretch out of more products. A prime example is so many people throw out their cake trims but instead of throwing them out, you make cake pops or crumble it and put it at the bottom of your pies, or even use it to decorate the outside of a cake or make ice cream. You just must be creative and find ways on how to get the most out of a product to extend it and make the most of your money out of it.
What’s been the hardest part about working for yourself and how do you manage this?
Managing emotions when things are tough and understanding things won’t always go as planned. There may be weeks when you may not take home money because of dead weeks throughout the season. Also, understand that it’s ok to take five minutes and breathe because the place won’t burn down when you take time for yourself. But, I think the most important, and I say this because I have a family of my own, is finding that correct balance in life that you can spend quality time at home. If you don’t have a family, then spend time with friends. You cannot neglect your own personal life. One hundred percent, you need to take breaks every once in a while, and just breathe and re-energize.
What’s your favorite piece of equipment that you couldn’t live without?
I think it is my sheeter machine that I cannot live without, nor would I want to go back to rolling out croissant dough and puff pastry dough by hand! I love that machine! It saves so much time, and most importantly, saves my forearms from falling off.
What’s your greatest aspiration for Bruno Bakery?
I’d like to open a total of four stores between New Jersey and New York City, but also to be known as a destination place by people around the country and the world.
Who were/are your mentors?
Besides my father, who continues to be my mentor to this day, Chef Robert Ellinger, Chef Dimitri Fayard, Chef Gary Rulli, Chef Josh Johnson, Chef Chef Joel Reno, Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, Chef Sebastien Canonne, Chef Charlie Tola, Chef Frank Vollkommer and my brother Sal Settepani.
Ingredients and Brands that you use— i.e. chocolate, etc?
Some of my go-to brands I love to use are Nielsen Massey for Vanilla, I only use Cacao Barry Chocolate, for gelato, all of my ingredients are shipped from Sicily. For specialty flour items, I use a brand called Molino Pasini, and in the U.S., I use King Arthur or Harvest King. For all my specialty items I am using Paris Gourmet, they provide some of the best ingredients and are amazing people to work with.
To learn more about Bruno’s Bakery, visit their website
