Bronx Memories – Zaro’s Bakery in Parkchester

Zaro's only Bronx location in Parkchester for years has served its delicious cakes and baked goods to generations of Bronxites / Image Credit Unknown
Zaro’s only Bronx location in Parkchester for years has served its delicious cakes and baked goods to generations of Bronxites / Image Credit Unknown

I remember as a child, my parents would drive to Parkchester so mom could pic up a cake from Zaro’s — especially the carrot cake which was (and is still) one of our favorites — for special family occasions and gatherings.

A trip to Parkchester for me was always magical because it meant I got to see the beautiful buildings and architecture of this city within a city within a city.

Zaro’s, which has been in business since 1927, has 9 stores, including the Parkchester location and 4 within Grand Central Station, 1 on 7th Avenue in the Fashion District, 2 at Penn Station and 1 in Newark but what they all have in common is that all these delicious goods comes from The Bronx at their headquarters on Bruckner Boulevard in Port Morris.

The baked goods have been coming out from The Bronx to all their stores since the 1930s making them one of our beloved mom and pop businesses.

Check out what they’ve done with their building and how they decided to turn a warehouse into a beautiful work of art:

The entire mural was done by artist R. Nick Kuszyk at Zaro's headquarters.
The entire mural was done by artist R. Nick Kuszyk at Zaro’s headquarters.
The entire mural was done by artist R. Nick Kuszyk at Zaro's headquarters.
The entire mural was done by artist R. Nick Kuszyk at Zaro’s headquarters.
The entire mural was done by artist R. Nick Kuszyk at Zaro's headquarters.
The entire mural was done by artist R. Nick Kuszyk at Zaro’s headquarters.

 

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.