Two New Decadent Dessert Shops Open

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Story and Photos by Madelynne Kislovsky
The Two River area is blessed with decadent array of cupcake boutiques, candy bars, donuts shops and European patisseries. But for those who crave something more, there are two new places to explore: an authentic cannoli shop and a specialty Bundt cake store.
Both have just recently opened their doors. Sempre Cannoli is located at 90 Broad Street in Red Bank. Nothing Bundt Cakes is in Shrewsbury, at 1081 Broad Street, in Trader Joe’s Plaza.

SEMPRE CANNOLI

Owner Philip Vivolo in front of Sempre Cannoli.
Owner Philip Vivolo in front of Sempre Cannoli.

Sempre Cannoli’s owner, Philip Vivolo of Colts Neck, grew up in Brooklyn. After 25 years in the granite business and a short stint in retirement, Vivoli decided to return to his roots by opening an Italian pastry shop. “Generation after generation had worked in the restaurant business, and one of our closely kept secrets is our cannoli recipe. What better product to develop and work with?” Vivolo said. The recipe was developed by his grandfather, Carmine, and refined over time.
The cannoli, also referred to in singular terms as cannolo, is an Italian dessert made of a fried pastry dough shell with a tube-like shape, filled with a whipped creamy mixture containing mainly ricotta cheese. The Italian word sempre can be translated as “always.”
Vivolo and his business partner, Jill Pecoraro, opened their doors on Sept. 9. “We had a fantastic response,” Vivolo said. “At three different points of the day, we had lines out the door.” Vivolo said he enjoyed hearing the compliments from customers and declarations that his cannolis were the best they ever had.
Each batch of Sempre Cannoli’s cream is hand-mixed by Vivolo for the perfect cannoli shell. Finding one that complemented his hand-made cannoli cream was difficult, he said. He wanted a shell without added flavor, in order to not take away from the product. He was satisfied to find what he described as a “nondescript vessel.” Vivolo says, “Our cannoli cream is very unique, very creamy, very smooth texture. It’s much different than most cannoli creams you’ll find out there.”
Sempre Cannoli’s treats come in small and large sizes, with four flavor options, including “chocolate and chocolate chip” and “fruit of the day.” The establishment also serves coffee, cappuccino, and espresso.
Although there is no table service, Sempre Cannoli’s interior features an old-fashioned, warm Italian atmosphere, down to the lace valance in the window, the exposed brick wall, and the black and white Italian street scene murals on the walls.
Selling their distinctive cannoli cream to local restaurants as well as other distribution companies is the core business, but Vivolo felt it was important to have a retail shop too to delight customers.
Sempre Cannoli has implemented strict food safety controls at its shop. “We’re very conscientious about who we hire and follow our procedures, because we focus on not only the quality of our product, but we also focus on putting out a safe product,” said Vivolo. “That’s what makes us different, we don’t put an emphasis on profit margin, we put an emphasis on quality.”
When asked about his vision of his business in the future, Vivolo replied, “I hope, busy as hell.” After being retired for two years, Vivolo is excited to be back in business, especially in downtown Red Bank.
The store’s hours are Tues.-Thursday, 9:30 a.m to 6 p.m; Fri-Sat., 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NOTHING BUNDT CAKES

Nothing Bundt Cakes owners Maria, Carly and Bill Lewis
Nothing Bundt Cakes owners Maria, Carly and Bill Lewis

On a trip to Santa Monica, California, Maria and Bill Lewis stopped at a Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise store with daughter Carly. One bite of the sweet and light cake and they were sold. They decided to invest in their own franchise. Last month the shop opened in Shrewsbury, a town that held many memories for the beach-loving family. The store has been open for about one month.
Nothing Bundt Cake serves different sizes and flavors of specialty cake. A Bundt cake is any cake that is baked in a fluted tube pan, which features a cylindrical hole in its center, allowing the cake to be baked, and then turned upside-down when cooled. The hole can be filled with whipped cream or fruit, and the cake decorated with thick stripes of frosting.
The newfangled shop has a refreshing take on the Bundt cake, first popularized in the 1950s and 60s. Cakes are baked fresh daily, all day long. The menu features nine flavors of Bundt cakes, including red velvet and pecan praline. They also feature “flavors of the month,” like lemon raspberry in the summer, and pumpkin in the fall. Each cake comes either drizzled or “petaled” with the franchise’s signature butter and cream cheese frosting. The cakes are sold in several sizes, the smallest being the “Bundtini,” a bite-sized Bundt cake, sold by the dozen for $19.75.
Nothing Bundt Cakes also serves “Bundtlet” towers, tiered Bundt cakes, as well as 8 and 10 inch cakes, sold decorated at $33 and $43, respectively.
When the Lewis family opened Nothing Bundt Cakes, they got many positive emails from customers that were “as obsessed as we were,” Carly Lewis said. “People are always looking for something new, so we got a lot of responses that were people just asking questions.”
Carly Lewis believes what draws people into the store and the brand is simple – the product. “Just the cake and how moist it is, it speaks for itself,” she said.
According to Lewis, the atmosphere of the store is another attractive element of the brand. “Our yellow walls and nostalgic feel that we have really makes people happy when they walk in, or at least I hope it does! It should bring them back to their grandmother or mother’s cozy house,” Lewis says. The interior of the shop has a modern atmosphere, with a very crisp, clean, neat look. Giftware, dishware, serving platters, and mugs, all available for sale, decorate the entire store.
The new Shrewsbury shop completes about 20 orders on an average Saturday, and hopes to have a solid customer base by the holidays. The family employs 15-20 “back of house staff” to keep production humming with fresh cakes.
“In the future, I’d love to have more stores. It’s amazing to love what you do, and I’d love to be able to continue this feeling,” said Carly Lewis. “My favorite part of the day is interacting with guests, just to see their reaction of their first bite of the sample.”
The Nothing Bundt Cakes Company helps each franchise with fundraising, holding events, and giftware. The Shrewsbury store held their Opening Ceremony with the Borough of Shrewsbury Mayor Donald Burden, and the Eastern Monmouth County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. “It’s weird that it’s finally real, once we cut that ribbon, we’re official,” Lewis said.
On Friday, Nothing Bundt Cakes will be supporting the Ronald McDonald House of Central and Northern NJ, where 20% of the store’s proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald Long Branch House. Maria Lewis had a strong connection to this branch of the organization while she was pregnant with one of her sons, and was touched by how the organization supported families through their troubles.
On Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., the first 50 customers making a purchase will win free Bundtlets for a year. At 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a “Family Fun Event” will be held for all customers and their families. “We’re going to have raffles, music, face painting, balloons, so it’s a fun deal for the kids and the adults as well. We’ll have tons of cake to sample,” Lewis said.