Kings Highway Bakery

- 292 Kings Hwy, Brooklyn, NY 11223

Introduction / Overview

For New Yorkers seeking a taste of authentic, old-world Italian baking right here in Brooklyn, Kings Highway Bakery stands as a beloved and enduring institution. Nestled in the heart of the Gravesend neighborhood, this bakery has been serving its community for decades, offering a blend of traditional Italian specialties and a wide array of celebratory desserts. More than just a place to pick up a pastry, Kings Highway Bakery is a local fixture where the craft of baking is passed down through generations, ensuring every loaf of bread and every sweet treat carries with it a sense of history and quality.

The bakery was founded in 1986 by Rocky Crupi and his father, with the recipes for their signature Italian bread tracing back even further to Crupi's grandfather and uncles, who ran a successful bakery on Smith Street. This rich family history, steeped in Calabrian tradition, is the cornerstone of their success. Locals have made it a daily ritual to visit the bakery for the same fresh loaves they've trusted for years, a testament to the consistent quality and dedication to traditional methods.

While their gorgeous, crusty loaves of traditional Italian bread are certainly the main draw, the bakery’s sweet side of the business is equally impressive. From custom cakes for all occasions to a glittering display of Italian cookies and pastries, Kings Highway Bakery is a one-stop shop for both everyday enjoyment and special event needs. They have successfully maintained the 'old-fashioned way' of doing business, using the best ingredients and ensuring everything is baked fresh daily, often with "hot bread all day" until the late afternoon, a feature highly valued by loyal customers.

Location and Accessibility

Kings Highway Bakery is conveniently situated in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, a vibrant and easily accessible neighborhood. Its address is 292 Kings Hwy, Brooklyn, NY 11223, USA. The location on Kings Highway places it on a busy commercial thoroughfare, making it simple for residents and visitors alike to stop in for their daily bread or a celebratory cake. For customers arriving by vehicle, the street offers typical Brooklyn parking options, so a quick visit is always the easiest option.

Accessibility is an important factor for all local businesses, and Kings Highway Bakery is committed to serving everyone in the community. The premises include a Wheelchair accessible entrance, ensuring that all customers can easily enter and enjoy the bakery’s offerings. Being in a well-trafficked area of Brooklyn, it is also highly accessible via public transportation for New Yorkers relying on the subway and bus systems, though specifics for nearby lines should always be checked prior to travel.

This prime Gravesend location allows the bakery to not only serve its direct neighborhood but also maintain a significant wholesale business, delivering their fresh loaves to delis, pizzerias, and sandwich shops throughout the local area. Furthermore, the bakery has embraced modern logistics, operating an internet business under the name Brooklyn Bread, which allows them to ship their highly-praised, fresh Brooklyn loaves to customers far beyond the five boroughs, solidifying its place as a regional baking powerhouse.

Services Offered

Kings Highway Bakery offers a comprehensive range of products and services, catering to both daily needs and special occasions. Their offerings reflect a dedication to both traditional Italian baking and modern dessert trends. The services and products include:

• Traditional Italian Bread: Fresh loaves baked daily from century-old Calabrian family recipes, including classic Italian bread, semolina bread, olive bread, and the popular prosciutto bread and seeded twists.
• Custom Cakes for All Occasions: Beautifully crafted cakes for events such as Weddings, Sweet Sixteens, Anniversaries, Birthday Parties, and other special occasions. Customers have praised the gorgeous appearance and delicious taste of their custom orders, even on short notice.
• Specialty Desserts: A wide variety of sweet treats including cheesecakes, cupcakes, cake pops, bars, chocolates, and French macaroons.
• Italian Cookies and Biscuits: A classic selection of Italian specialties, prominently featuring their signature Rainbow Cookies (noted for being taller and cakier than others) and Pignoli Cookies (macaroon-style with a generous studding of pine nuts).
• Traditional Italian Holiday Baked Goods: Offering seasonal specialties that many bakeries no longer produce, such as Struffoli (honey-soaked balls of dough) and Panettone.
• Signature Savory Items: This includes items like the customer-favorite Pizza Flat Bread.
• Coffee: Classic, straightforward coffee available to pair perfectly with any pastry or bread purchase.
• Takeout Service: Convenient service for quickly picking up orders.
• Dessert Tables: Providing an assortment of desserts suitable for large events and celebrations.
• Delivery Service: Available for special event items like cheesecakes, delivering straight to your door or venue.
• Wholesale Business: Supplying their fresh loaves to local delis, pizzerias, and sandwich shops in the area.

Features / Highlights

What sets Kings Highway Bakery apart is a combination of its historical roots, its dedication to quality, and its relationship with the community. Key features and highlights that make this Brooklyn institution a local favorite include:

• Generational Italian Recipes: The backbone of the bakery is its use of Calabrian family recipes for bread, passed down from the owner Rocky Crupi’s grandfather and uncles, ensuring an authentic and unparalleled taste of old-world Italy.
• Daily Fresh Baking: The commitment to quality is evident in the baking schedule, with fresh bread being baked "all day, till 5 p.m.," meaning customers can almost always pick up a hot, fragrant loaf straight from the oven.
• Exceptional Bread Quality: Their fresh Italian bread is highly praised for its crusty exterior and chewy, soft interior, offering superior texture and flavor compared to mass-produced alternatives.
• Highly-Regarded Specialty Cookies: The bakery is renowned for its house specialties, particularly the Rainbow Cookies and Pignoli Cookies, which customers consider must-try items for their unique quality and traditional preparation.
• Community-Focused Service: The staff, including the owner Rocky Crupi, cultivates a family-like atmosphere, with Crupi noting that many customers visit almost daily for their fix of fresh bread and treats.
• Customer Service and Customization: Verified customer reviews highlight the staff's supportive, sweet, and accommodating nature, particularly in fulfilling last-minute and custom requests for birthday cakes, ensuring a special experience for patrons.
• Payment Flexibility: The bakery accommodates a variety of payment options, including Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments, and notably, SNAP/EBT, making their quality products accessible to a wider local demographic.
• Perfect for a Quick Visit: The bakery is well-suited for a quick visit, catering to the busy schedules of New York residents looking to grab their favorite baked goods efficiently.

Contact Information

To visit Kings Highway Bakery or inquire about their special event offerings, please use the following contact details:

• Address: 292 Kings Hwy, Brooklyn, NY 11223, USA
• Phone: (718) 998-0141
• Mobile Phone: +1 718-998-0141

What is worth choosing

For any New Yorker, choosing Kings Highway Bakery is choosing a slice of Brooklyn's rich culinary history, wrapped in a fresh, quality-driven experience. What truly makes this establishment worth your visit is its unwavering commitment to authentic, traditional Italian baking that can be hard to find elsewhere. You are not just buying a product; you are participating in a local tradition that has been kept alive by the Crupi family for generations, from Calabria to Smith Street and finally to Kings Highway.

The top choice must be the Fresh Italian Bread. Rocky Crupi’s dedication to using "the best ingredients" and his family’s century-old recipes results in loaves—like the seeded twist, olive bread, or the rich prosciutto bread—that are baked fresh all day, delivering a fragrant, chewy, and crispy experience that is the definition of artisanal quality. For those who grew up on true Italian bread, this is the fix you need. Even for non-locals, the experience of a warm, fresh loaf is simply irresistible and serves as the perfect centerpiece for any meal.

For sweet lovers, the choice is equally clear: the Rainbow Cookies and Pignoli Cookies. Customers rave that the Rainbow Cookies here are uniquely 'cake-like' and substantial, making them a house specialty that is a cut above. The Pignoli Cookies, with their dense, macaroon-like chewiness and generous pine nut coating, are worth the trip alone. Pairing any of these cookies with a classic cup of their coffee makes for a perfect, cozy New York treat.

Furthermore, if you are planning any celebration—from a simple birthday to a grand wedding—Kings Highway Bakery’s custom cakes and wide array of desserts, including cheesecakes and French macaroons, are a reliable and high-quality option. The noted ability of the staff to handle even last-minute custom cake requests with professionalism and care, as attested by loyal customers, demonstrates the exceptional level of service you can expect. The fact that the bakery accepts SNAP/EBT is another key reason to choose them, as it ensures their high-quality goods are accessible to all members of the community, truly making them a bakery for all of Brooklyn.

Kings Highway Bakery

292 Kings Hwy, Brooklyn, NY 11223, USA