In many industries, those who hunger the most for knowledge have the most success. Biagio Settepani, owner of Pasticceria Bruno in Staten Island and Bruno Bakery in Manhattan, is such an example. Pasticceria Bruno is Modern Baking's 2008 Retail Bakery of the Year.

This summer, Modern Baking called on its readers to nominate the best retail bakeries in the country. The nominations were judged on several criteria, including sales, product quality, management and training systems, merchandising, marketing plans and industry service. Biagio Settepani is a CMB and multiple pastry award winner who exemplifies the spirit of Modern Baking's annual award because of his eagerness to share his knowledge to better the industry.

When the Settepani family came to the United States in 1973, 13-year-old Biagio needed a job. Without knowing a thing about baking, he began working in a local bakery in Brooklyn.

“I was amazed,” he recalls. “With never having worked in a bakery before, I never knew what would happen when you whipped egg whites. I remember putting egg whites in the mixer and before I knew it, it was this big pile of meringue.”

His amazement turned to a passion for the trade he knew so little about. “I wanted so much to learn how to do things, but it didn't come easy. Maybe that was the stimulation,” he says.

As he learned about the production aspect of baking, he also gained knowledge of how to create a successful bakery. Along with his family; wife Pina, daughter Fina and sons Salvatore and Joseph; Biagio has built his business to three locations and maintains success by focusing on branding, adhering to high standards and leading by example.

It all began in 1980, when at age 21, Biagio bought his first bakery. After 15 months, he began looking for a new location and found it in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. With no money to form a new corporation, he kept the original name: Bruno Bakery.

Biagio began taking classes that bakery supply companies offered. He already knew Italian pastries and breads, but the classes introduced him to traditional cakes, French pastries and chocolates. The classes led to competitions. It was through competitions that his thirst for knowledge was finally being quenched.

“I saw things I never saw before, and I brought it back to the shop and worked on it. The competitions were another way to really get your name out there,” he adds.

As he entered more competitions, his business continued to grow. Today, the Settepani family owns Bruno Bakery in Manhattan and two Pasticceria Bruno locations in Staten Island. The number of locations under the Bruno umbrella has fluctuated, but one of the largest influences on the business' future was September 11.

While the rest of the country was back to business as usual shortly after the attack, it took almost a year for the bakery to regain the 40 percent of business it had lost. With the added security around the city, the commute from the family home in Staten Island to Manhattan grew to two hours each way. The Settepanis decided to start looking for locations closer to home. After about three years of searching, they found a location on Staten Island. In December 2004, one week before Christmas, Pasticceria Bruno opened on Hylan Blvd.

Power of branding

The new location sported a different name from the established Bruno Bakery in Greenwich Village because another Staten Island bakery already had a similar name, Buono Bakery. Biagio added “pasticceria” to further differentiate his business. His Manhattan bakery retained the Bruno Bakery name, and he used the distinctive “B” that had become his trademark to help identify the new Pasticceria Bruno name and location with the established Bruno Bakery.

By the time the Settepanis opened Pasticceria Bruno, they had learned the power of branding. The trademarked “B” came to connote quality and high standards. All bakery employees, both front of the house and production staff, wear whites. The whites project professionalism that gives employees pride in the job and lets customers know to expect high quality. Biagio uses every opportunity to put his bakery brand in front of customers, from custom Italian chocolate packaging to bags of Pasticceria Bruno-branded coffee.

With the opening of the Staten Island location, the family discovered the business model they see as the future of their success. The retail bakery remains the main draw with pastry-packed showcases and gourmet coffee service. In addition, two dining rooms and outdoor patios provide seating for 100. When the bakery first opened, customers wanted food items, since the location was a former restaurant. Biagio listened and began offering salads and sandwiches, which over the next two years grew into a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with table service.

He attributes savory items to the location's success. “If we didn't convert it to what the people wanted, we would be in trouble,” he adds. “Listen to your customers and offer what they want.”

The Settepanis have melded the bakery seamlessly with foodservice. Seated foodservice customers are encouraged to select their dessert from the bakery showcase to be plated and served to them at their table. Front-end staff is cross-trained to wait on customers both at tables and from behind the counter. The bakery also offers catering services that combine its savory items with bakery products.

This model was expanded earlier this year when the Settepanis opened a second Pasticceria Bruno on Staten Island. The new location on Forest Ave., run by son Salvatore and his business partner Franco Franzese, operates similarly to the Hylan Blvd. location. It offers a full bakery product line, but is more foodservice-focused. Almost 75 percent of sales at this location come from foodservice.