10 Questions w/ John Barricelli @ Sono Baking Company's 10 Year Anniversary

This summer marks the 10 year anniversary for Sono Baking Company. To celebrate the milestone of this beloved local bakery, we sat down with owner, John Barricelli, to talk about the business of baking and his plans for the future.  

What made you decide to launch Sono Baking Company?

We launched Sono 10 years ago because we found that the need for baked goods and breads were hard to find in this area....everything was being brought up from the city....I always wanted to bake bread in a big oven early in the morning with no days off!

Has the business of baking changed in the past 10 year? How?

The business has not changed, but competition has grown a little....we still think we are superior to anything out there...we bake fresh everyday....bake locally, distribute locally.

What is the secret to your success in this competitive business? 

I guess our secret is not really a mystery....the best ingredients sourced as local as possible and hand crafted and baked daily....it is the only way we have done it.

How do you develop new recipes? From where do you draw inspiration? 

We get our recipes from many years in the business as well as new employees bringing some ideas to the table.... we are never happy with the same old stuff...we do seasonal, holiday, and special occasion baking all the time.

Do you alter your original recipes to meet the changing needs of your clientele. (i.e. Gluten Free etc)

We have always had gluten free items....macaroon, flourless cakes and tortes, organic spelt breads.....so the trend has caught up to us I guess.

What are your plans for Sono Baking Co moving forward?

We currently have 4 stores and are happy with what we have....we entertain the idea of opening in Fairfield but that is down the road.

What Is the most challenging aspect of your business? 

Labor and insurances are 2 areas that are relentless and most challenging as they never go down and more then likely go up faster then you could ever imagine.

What do you enjoy most about your business? 

Client and customer satisfaction is what keeps me going.... I would never do this if we were just mediocre or just another bakery....I am proud of what i do and maintain beautiful facilities for both employees and customers....A and J's is questionable but still functions well.

What is your favorite product?

My favorite product is our breads....I truly think our sourdoughs and there are 8 to 10.....are undeniably great, our baguette is awesome......and our cookies too! But then again our croissants and danish hit the spot!

Sono Baking Company 

101 Water Street, Sono, Norwalk

1680 Post Rd, at A&J's Farmstand, Westport

44 Church Lane, Downtown Westport

49 Tokeneke Rd, Darien