THUNDER BAY – Donato’s Bakery is a busy place. This week stopping by to talk with Caterina Donato Bruno, who stands as the head of the family-run business and is a force of nature herself was a fun challenge. Customers streaming into the bakery, and the phone ringing with customers ordering pizza keep the business hopping.
This iconic Thunder Bay business is going to be at the Royal Ontario Fair this week and sharing their delicious sauce with all of Ontario and the world.
Long considered a pillar in the Thunder Bay community, Caterina Donato Bruno has earned the bakery a strong reputation for philanthropy and humanitarianism. She has been celebrated twice – in 1994 by Mayor Jack Masters with a Giant Heart Award, and again in 2015 by Mayor Keith Hobbs with a congratulatory scroll. She volunteers and fundraises for her church, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Diabetes Society while contributing to the local food bank and soup kitchen.
And she has volunteered at a hospice center. But her generosity is also on display at the bakery, where no one gets turned away if they cannot pay for their food. If a child comes in crying they will find themselves with a rainbow-colored cookie for free!
This style carries on in the family. And you can see how the customers who in many cases become friends are appreciative of genuine kindness.
The pizza at Donato’s is one of the best in the city and the baked goods are second to none.
However this week, Donato’s is going to be at the Royal Ontario Fair as a part of the food displays. David Bruno adds more insight into how this came about.
The growth and interest in local food are not only in Thunder Bay but across Canada are continuing to grow.
With their exceptional tomato sauce, Donato’s has found their way onto the shelves of Metro and is looking for more growth.
From Our Thunder Bay, NetNewsLedger is happy to share another Thunder Bay success story.
