When it comes to satisfying a sweet tooth, Hudson County has an array of bakery spots to choose from — and we’ve rounded up all of the delicious options here. One of those beloved spots is Monteleone’s Bakery, located in the Journal Square section of Jersey City at 741 Newark Avenue. After a vacation sign was put up with a return date of August 2nd, locals have been speculating why this JC spot has not been reopened since. Now, we recently found out that the bakery is permanently closed. Read on for what we know about the closing and what we will miss about Monteleone’s Bakery in Jersey City.
The Closing
Earlier this summer, Monteleone’s put up signage stating that the spot would be closed for vacation until August 2nd. After it did not open back up, locals have been speculating when (and if) the bakery would be opening back up. On August 13th, a post in the Jersey City subreddit confirmed that Monteleone’s would be closed for good as of August, sharing a post from the We Grew Up in Jersey City Facebook Group from a member of the Monteleone family.
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About Monteleone’s
Monteleone’s has been in business since 1946 and is a third-generation family-owned bakery. Guido Monteleone first came to America from Sicily in 1909 and brought his family over to the States a few years later after the First World War. Guido opened Monteleone’s bakery in Jersey City with his family in 1946, which was passed down to his sons after he passed away in 1959. The grandchildren, Guido (the third), Pete, and Mark Monteleone have since run the whole operation.
Monteleone’s used the same recipes that Guido Monteleone used when the bakery first opened, and still used the same suppliers out of Brooklyn up until its closure. Everything was made fresh, and from natural ingredients such as strawberry filling rather than strawberry preserves, and sometimes even fresh strawberries per customer request. Monteleone’s even made its own cannoli shells.
When it comes to baked goods, there is nothing that Monteleone’s did not have available. They sold cakes, cookies, pastries, brownies, cupcakes, pies, and more. In the mornings, customers could stop by for a warm bagel and coffee while they ordered dessert for later. Monteleone’s was most known for its cakes for parties or special events. The spot baked about 50 birthday cakes on any given Saturday.
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Monteleone’s always stuck to its old-fashioned ways when it comes to booking and buying its goodies, and Hudson County locals will for sure miss this beloved Journal Square bakery greatly.
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Jersey City Pizza Fest, Hoboken Mac + Cheese Fest Happening This Spring
Hudson County foodies are in for a treat this spring with an annual event returning to the Mile Square and a brand-new festival coming to Chilltown. On Saturday, March 29th, the first-ever Jersey City Pizza Fest will take place and feature 12+ local restaurant serving up their best pizza. Over in Hoboken, the annual Mac + Cheese Festival will return this year on Saturday, April 5th. Read on for more about these two food festivals happening in Hudson County, New Jersey this spring.
Jersey City Pizza Fest
The first-ever Jersey City Pizza Fest will take place on Saturday, March 29th from 1PM-5PM to kick off the start of the spring season. The event is presented by Jersey City Happy Hours, and tickets are already on sale.
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Read More: Hoboken’s 2025 Spring Arts + Music Festival Happening on 5/18
Similar to a bar crawl — but for pizza — event-goers will be able to sample a variety of pizza from different Jersey City restaurants, including:
- &pizza
- Carmine's Pizza Factory
- Helen's Pizza
- Luna Restaurant
- Pizzeria Las Americas
- Porta
- Prato Bakery
- Roman Nose
- Rustique
- Tino's Artisan Pizza Co.
- Tony Boloney's
- Two Boots
- + more to come
Locals will receive a half slice of pizza from every participating location at this event. Check-in locations will be at Carmine's Pizza Factory (366 8th Street) and Tino's Artisan Pizza Co. (199 Warren Street). Participants will receive their check-in location after purchasing tickets.
More information about each pizza offering as well as ticket information can be found on the Jersey City Pizza Fest website.
Hoboken Mac + Cheese Festival
The 6th annual Hoboken Mac + Cheese Festival will take place on Saturday, April 5th, 2025. The event is presented by Hoboken Happy Hours, and is being held as a food crawl this year.
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Hudson County locals can expect a day full of cheesy fun, with a elite lineup of Hoboken restaurants showing off their best mac + cheese dishes. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, February 5th at 12PM, and the Mile Square restaurants participating include:
- Antique at 112
- Byrd
- Empanadas Cafe
- GTK
- The Hoboken Biergarten
- The Lola
- Madd Hatter
- The Madison Bar + Grill
- Mighty Quinn's Barbecue
- Napoli's
- Pizza Republic
- Tony Boloney's
- UH Hoboken
- Wicked Wolf
- + more to come
This year, check-in locations will be at UH Hoboken (306 Sinatra Drive) and The Hoboken Biergarten (1422 Grand Street). Participants will receive their check-in location after purchasing tickets, and must check in before 3PM. Tickets include a sample of mac + cheese from every participating location.
More information about each mac + cheese dish as well as ticket information can be found on the Hoboken Mac + Cheese Fest website.
See More: Valentine’s Day 2025: Events + Dinners in the Montclair Area
Of course, we'd be remiss to not mention one of Hoboken's most beloved annual events — the St. Ann's Festival — which happens each summer on Jefferson Street. Keep an eye out in the coming months for details about this year's event. The date for Hoboken's annual Spring Arts + Music Festival was also recently announced, and you can read all about that here.
If you're looking for some other local events while we await these two festivals, we've got a whole list of winter festivals happening in New Jersey here. Or, you can always head to our events calendar for the latest local happenings each week.
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