BY JASON COHEN
Known for its fl uffy Boston Cream
pies, Italian butter cookies and layered
cakes, Conti’s Pastry Shoppe has
been a staple in Morris Park for a century.
On Oct. 23, the bakery celebrated
its centennial.
Founded in 1921 by Augustino
Conti, the bakery quickly grew to a
popular place in the neighborhood. Located
at 786 Morris Park Ave., people
would fl ock there for cakes, coffee and
comfort. For three generations, the
bakery was owned by the Conti family
until 2001, when owners Safet Paljevic
and his two partners, Senada Paljevic
and Christina DiRusso, took over.
“It’s not just a job for us, it’s a part of
our life,” DiRusso said. “We’re all kind
of nostalgic people and we love the idea
that we’ve been here 100 years.”
Safet Paljevic told the Bronx Times
that while Conti’s was once a magical
place, it went downhill when the
grandson of the original owner took
over in the ’90s. It was only open a few
days a week and didn’t have the same
allure it once held in the Bronx.
DiRusso, 36, who began working
behind the counter at Conti’s when
she was around 18 or 19, fi rst told Safet
Paljevic about the opportunity to take
over the place. And with a background
in real estate, he took a leap of faith
and purchased the property.
“I didn’t know anything about the
bakery business,” said Safet Paljevic,
46.
DiRusso added that when the trio
took over it wasn’t a “sexy” place to be
— people came for coffee, a muffi n or a
cake, that’s it.
“We were really lucky because he
believed in what he saw,” DiRusso said
about Paljevic. “He saw passion and I
was very passionate about the store.
When he fi rst bought it the allure of a
small bakery wasn’t what it is now.”
According to Safet Paljevic, from
2003-2009, they were just making
enough to pay the bills at the store and
stay afl oat. In fact, when they took over
the bakery, the trio ran the front of the
store, which allowed them the benefi t
of getting to know their customers.
Safet Paljevic said the biggest issue
was fi nding ways to bring in new
customers. Before the advent of social
media, they used to print out fl yers
and placed them on people’s cars. “We
had nothing to lose, but everything to
gain,” he said.
Then everything changed in 2010
when the NYC Department of Health
shut the business down for two weeks.
During that time, the owners realized
they needed to focus more on the people
and less on the profi ts.
So DiRusso and Senada, 40,
watched videos on how to make specialty
cakes and slowly introduced
those to the store. For decades, the
bakery was known for its cream pies,
but they wanted to offer more. DiRusso
noted people in the Bronx often had to
travel to the city to fi nd a specialty-layered
cake.
But with their new approach, they
changed the game in the area.
“We wanted to fi gure out how to
take it to the next level,” DiRusso said.
“We were able to teach ourselves a lot
of these cakes.”
The boost in the business allowed
them to expand the store, create more
space for cake decorating and an offi
ce, and increase their catering operation.
Soon with the new infl uence of
social media, Conti’s became the talk
of the town again.
Like many places, the scariest time
for them was during the COVID-19
pandemic. They were closed for three
weeks in April and there was uncertainty
if or when they would be allowed
to reopen. “Truthfully, we’ve
never been apart from each other that
long,” DiRusso said.
While DiRusso and Safet Paljevic
were both diagnosed with the coronavirus,
the owners were more concerned
about the health and safety of
their customers. However, the summer
of 2020 turned out to be one of
their busiest with everyone shuttered
home. “Even through the pandemic we
were able to still survive because people
still wanted their birthday cake,”
DiRusso said.
Since taking over, the place has become
their second home and often they
are there when the sun rises and also
when it sets.
“I don’t think anyone in this business
could outwork us,” Safet Paljevic
said. “It’s not a job. I love coming here.”
Over the years Conti’s has been recognized
on more than one occasion. It
has received awards from the Edible
Bronx, WeddingWire Couples’ Choice
and Bride’s Choice Awards, and has
been featured on NBC and News12 The
Bronx.
But the owners said the credit goes
to their employees. One of them is
manager Gianna Giampia, who has
been with the bakery for a decade.
Giampia, a lifelong Morris Park resident,
said Conti’s has become her second
home.
“As many hours as I work here I
never feel like I’m working,” Giampi
said.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N 36 OV. 12-18, 2021 BTR
Conti’s owners Safet Paljevic and his two
partners, Senada Paljevic and Christina Di-
Russo, and manager Gianna Giampia. Photos
courtesy Elias Gelpi
Conti’s Pastry
Shoppe in Morris
Park celebrates
100 years
Conti’s in Morris Park is recognized for its cannolis.