Carlo’s Bakery

It’s been almost three months since Carlo’s Bakery opened at Preston Center, and the cannoli-crazed crowd has yet to be satiated. Our neighborhood can’t seem to get enough of TV’s “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro and his decadent creations, especially his signature cannolis.

“We sell at least 1,000 [cannolis] a day, and that’s the bare minimum,” says Chad Durkin, research and product development chef for Carlo’s Bakery.

In his role, Durkin ensures Valastro’s strict quality standards are upheld at each franchise, pointing out that the Cake Boss himself must personally approve any and all recipes before they hit the bakery shelves. He has opened bakeries all over the country, but has never seen as robust a response the one seen as Dallas.

“Usually it dies down after a few weeks; with Dallas, it has yet to die down, really,” Durkin says. On an average weekday afternoon, at least 50 customers are waiting in partitioned lines, taking pictures with the life-sized Cake Boss cut-out and enjoying the buttery perfumed air. A dozen employees buzz around the store, constantly baking and moving patrons through the line quickly. It’s not nearly enough, Durkin says. The bakery is busy hiring another set of employees to keep up with the demand.

“We’re a 24/7 operation, we have people baking all day and all night, every day,” he says. “We have one person who only bakes cakes, that’s it.”

For those that want the sweets without the wait, consider ordering online.

Carlo’s Bakery

8319 Preston Road
469.726.2669
bakeshop.carlosbakery.com/dallas

Ambiance:

Vintage Italian

Price Range:

$2-$45

Hours:

7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday
7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Did you know:

On opening day, Carlo’s Bakery sold more than 16,000 cannolis, including three flavors that were specially produced for the Dallas location: Nutella, Oreo and salted caramel.