Biagio Fortunato manages Fortunato Brothers Bakery, balancing family tradition with modern business challenges in Brooklyn's Italian bakery scene.
Biagio Fortunato, co-owner of Fortunato Brothers Bakery in Brooklyn, grew up just a few blocks from the shop his father and uncles opened in 1976 after immigrating from Naples, Italy.
He now helps run the family business, which produces about 300,000 cannoli and close to 1 million cookies each year, using the same methods the family established decades ago.
That consistency shows up in the smallest details. One of his uncles has been tying cannoli shells the same way for 50 years.
For Fortunato, maintaining that consistency is part of the job. "There's no reason to change it if it works," he said. Even so, inheriting the business hasn't made the job easier.
"Just because I'm born into it doesn't necessarily mean that you're handed a silver spoon," he said. He recalled coming to the bakery after school and working there for as long as he can remember.
Fortunato met up with Business Insider recently for its "Small Business" video series, offering a look inside the bakery and what it means to inherit a routine, expectations, and a way of life shaped long before he took over.
On a typical day, the team produces thousands of cannoli and cookies. Over his lifetime, Fortunato estimated that, "I'm pretty sure I filled millions of cannoli." Behind that output is a steady stream of costs. The bakery uses hundreds of pounds of sugar and flour each week, about 150 pounds of butter, and contends with fluctuating ingredient prices — including eggs that once reached about $270 a case, he said.
Raising prices isn't straightforward. "If you're spending double the amount on product, can you actually charge double the amount for the item? I don't think it's fair," he said.
Equipment and overhead add another layer of expense. Ovens can cost up to $70,000, and repairs can run into the thousands. Insurance for the building is about $90,000 a year, he said. "You're always paying something, so it's never a dull moment," Fortunato added.
The stress is constant. "Every single day," he said. He pointed to long hours, sleepless nights, and the ongoing demands of keeping the operation running. Working closely with family also comes with pros and cons.
The same people he grew up with are now coworkers and business partners, which can create tension. He has seen arguments escalate quickly — family members will "fight, yell, and scream," before moving on just as fast.
At the same time, that closeness can be an advantage, he said. "They always seem to come through when you need it," he said.
As a second-generation owner, Fortunato is focused on longevity. He wants the bakery to continue and eventually pass to the next generation.
Fortunato said he holds himself to a high standard as he looks ahead. "I want to see this succeed for the next 50 years, no matter what happens," he said.
For him, running the bakery means preserving what his family built while managing the realities of today — a balance between tradition, pressure, and the expectation that the next generation will one day step in.
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