Baltimore-Based Bakery Arrives in Bel Air

The Vaccaro's name and brand that first appeared in 1956 and remains popular in Baltimore, arrived in Harford County this year.

Vaccaro's, serving desserts, pastries, sandwiches, coffees and more, opened in January adjacent to the Harford Mall on Bel Air Road.

"A lot of people from east Baltimore have moved up this way and a lot of our clientele is in this area. This site became available and it was the right move. It's been great here," Vaccaro's manager Rich Cain said.

"The demographics are good. It's fit in with our pricing. We had been looking up here for the past few years, we knew this was a growing area. This is a great spot, how many cars go by here?" Cain said.

With its storefront facing a well-traveled section of Bel Air Road, Cain believes the business has a great location. Plus, with several restaurants nearby, Vaccaro's is a spot where customers can come after dinner.

While it's not a full-service restaurant, Vaccaro's lunch business picked up when it added sandwiches to the menu.

"It's family-owned and we take a lot of pride in the product and our service. The son has taken over for the father. He has kept the standards high," Cain said.

Gioacchino Vaccaro opened the family's first location 54 years ago and his son Nick now runs the business. There are five locations in the Baltimore area.

"We do well with our coffee but we are known for our cannolis and our macaroons and our pastries, Cain said. "We also have gelato, which does well. We even do breakfast sandwiches in the morning. Cannolis will fly off the shelves over the coming weeks. It goes with Thanksgiving and Christmas."

Cain is a 1984 graduate and has been with the company since 1988. He splits his time between the Bel Air and Little Italy locations. The Bel Air store employs about 20 people.

"We have great kids that work here, many go to Fallston, or John Carroll. I've known many of them through the community," he said.

Cain added that there is great pride in the family name and business and many customers have found them for years and he expects that will continue.

"That is how we advertise, word of mouth, good product. That is the best kind of advertising you can do," Cain said. "We are trying to keep traditions alive in this area."