ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A trip to Savoia’s Pastry Shoppe is a yearly Easter tradition for many customers and a long line out the door won’t keep people away.
Savoia’s begins preparations for their second busiest holiday of the year weeks in advance. The bakery goes through 2,000 of their Easter breads and 1,600 of its homemade sfingis and zeppolis.
“Sfingi and zeppoli is the big Easter Pastry: it’s fried dough. It has ricotta cheese and chocolate chips. The zeppoli has the custard. Those are huge Easter pastries. Ricotta pies, the breads and we do our own homemade chocolate, so that’s a big staple for Easter as well,” said Lisa Privitera, co-owner of Savoia’s Pastry Shoppe.
Most of Savoia’s customers say it’s a tradition to get their baked goods before each Easter holiday. Judith Swikehardt is a 15-year patron.
“This is always our yearly tradition to come to Savoia’s. The neighbors, there’s like four or five neighbors. We always bring the daughters and then we go out to breakfast afterwards,” said Judith Swikehardt, customer.
“It’s a tradition. People don’t mind waiting in line. It goes by pretty quick. A lot of the staple items we carry from year to year and that’s what people come in for and they know they’re getting good products, so I think that’s what keeps them coming,” added Privitera.
The Italian bakery has been selling its famous pastries for nearly nine decades. Bonnie Bowen has had a long history with Savoia’s dating back to when she was three years old. Two items she has at the Easter table each year are Rum Cake and Easter bread with eggs.
“It brings back memories of my childhood. To carry on the Italian traditions in my family, which my family is now diverse, but I would like to keep special Italian traditions going forward to my children, my grandchildren and my great grandchildren,” said Bonnie Bowen, customer.