Jan. 16, 2017 By Christian Murray
An old-school Italian bakery on Roosevelt Avenue that was supposed to close for good Sunday has made a last-minute decision to stay open.
Iliana LaMicela, the owner of V&V Bakery, told The Sunnyside Post Sunday that the 45-year-old bakery, located at 61-19 Roosevelt Avenue, was closing for good.
She said that it was closing because business was weak and the rent had recently been raised. Furthermore, she said, the landlord leased space to a Chinese bakery on the same block last year that was also hurting business.
But Sunday night V&V announced on Facebook that it was reopening “due to popular demand’ and told its followers that “We love Woodside” and the legacy will live on.
The bakery, which opened in 1972 when Woodside was largely an Irish neighborhood, has changed little over the years.
The bakery still has its vintage signs out front, has glass cases by the counter typically filled with cookies and desserts, and shelves at the back usually for bread and additional desserts.
The store bakes everything on premises and sells items such as pastries, pies, cakes and bread.
The bakery, however, has suffered as many of its long-time Irish-American customers have moved out of the area. The new residents have largely come from Asia and Latin America and often go to bakeries that were established by their respective countrymen.
“Many of our customers who moved away would come back and see us from time to time,” LaMicela said. “Our customers were like family to us.”
The business reopens January 17.
Iliana LaMicela (middle) with her son and daughter
Featured Events
24 Comments
I love Walters bakery. Have been going there since the 1960’s. Any event we got our cakes there. The pastries were to die for. All our wedding cakes came from Walters. I live in Florida now but when I’m in NY it’s the first place I go.
The earlier bakery was called Walters. Way back in 1967 after 9:00 mass at St Sebastian, We would pick up 2 dozen crumb buns and go to Nanas house on 10th Ave in the “City” A cab cost $3.35. That is my great memory of that bakery!!!❤️
I’m glad that they are staying opened. It is hard to find good bakeries in the area. Love their scones and Irish soda bread.
the place had become stale much like the Old Farts in the neighborhood.
The bakery stayed the same, too bad it opened in 1972, when the neighborhood slowly started turning to crap. They opened at the end of an era. An era that was probably the beginning of the end for woodside as we once knew it
Anyone know the status of the empty bakery on skillman by kettle?
Looks like the place, outside at least, could use a good scrub. I’m all about shopping local, I wonder why business owners don’t take pride in their store’s appearance?
V&V is the BEST Bakery in Woodside area. Their bread tastes like bread! I always purchase their cakes for special occasions. Back in 1994, I purchased all the bake goods for my parents 50th wedding anniversary party. Ever since my family in New Jersey tasted these baked goods, my job is to bring the baked goods! We are all ADDICTED!!!! We need these stores in Woodside!!
Believe they’ve permanently shut down and some other business took over–expanded Mexican? They used to bake the best Italian bread until they changed their flour. When asked, I was told they had to change to a cheaper flour due to price increase in flour. Wish they had just increased the price of the bread instead of changing the quality of it! Anyhow, unfortunately, they’re gone now..
I love their rainbow cookies!
I was here for the first time on Nov. 25 when I picked up a birthday cake for my son. It was fabulous. After La Marjolaine closed, I asked a foodie friend where to go for a cake and he recommended V & V which I’d never heard of. Definitely worth trying.
hey DoMo you’ve lived in the area for 75 years and you’ve never been there.
Now the Paris Baguette is the best bakery in the neighborhood. I heard that the place is closing again. wtf.
Paris Baguette is the best?! If you like plain, fake tasting crap that uses substitute sweeteners, sure. Doesn’t come close to real ingredients that V & V uses.
That’s sweet. Get it
They could move to Sunnyside on Greenpoint ave. Lots of Iris, old timers and empty spaces.
Passing by this bakery, I never stepped inside because they usually have a help wanted sign up and I didn’t want to support a business that was shady towards their workers when it appeared turnover was high there.
wrong, same people been working there for years. I’ve lived here 15 years and never seen what you’re stating.
The best bread ever and cookies and cake and pastries .YUM
so glad they will remain open
Any time I come back to Woodside I always stop in and buy a bag of black & whites. Wishing you the best of luck. Hope to see you soon.
Those cookies stink
I went to that bakery, perhaps it was under another name, when I was about 8 years old, which would make it 1967. I remember because I was going with a girlfriend who’s mother worked there, but I knew my mother would be very upset to know I had gone so far away from home without telling her. I lived 20 blocks in the other direction.
anyone who complains about the loss of mom and pop businesses needs to go and support these people! Put your money where your big mouths are.
Excellent. I will make the trip over there to support this place.
They’ll pretend to close for good when business slows down again.