Name: Chuck Stanko
Achievement: In 2005, Chuck Stanko and George Carroll moved to a new town and a new line of work when they opened a bakery and coffee shop in downtown Milford. Today, Dolcé Bakery is one of the most recognizable and popular shops on Walnut Street, and touted by the city’s business community as an anchor of the historic neighborhood.
Q What made you come to Milford in the first place?
A We were looking for a downtown environment where we could open a bakery. The streetscape was here, it was nice — we liked the downtown feel and the atmosphere of the town. That’s what we wanted.
Q Were you surprised at how quickly the community took to Dolcé?
A Yes. Yes, incredibly. We were really shocked, and we were very tired. I remember being so tired over that first month. It was a wonderful thing.
Q How has the business changed in the last five years?
A We started out as a full bakery, and we had to pare it down. That just didn’t work here. We think it’s just a matter of the number of people in town — the size isn’t enough to support a full bakery. But maybe we’re doing something wrong. In any case, we’ve transformed the business into more of a coffee shop. We still do baking, but it’s cookies and smaller pastries — items that you would see at any coffee shop. But George still loves to bake. That’s his passion. We’ll never give that up entirely.
Q For a while, there was a “FOR SALE” sign in the window of your building. What happened there?
A We never had any plans to sell Dolcé, and we tried to make that as clear as possible. The only thing that’s for sale is the building — we’d go from owning to renting, so Dolcé isn’t saddled with the mortgage, especially in this economy. The building’s still for sale; we’ve had some offers, but they didn’t come to fruition. Whatever happens, we’ll definitely be here in the long term. We have an incredibly devout core of customers who have been great to us from the beginning, and we’re very grateful.
Milford, Del. —
