Our Story: More Than 60 Years of Baking in Rochester
Leo's story begins in the 1940s, when the Balta brothers transformed a passion for pie into a real bakery business. They built a modern 7,000-square-foot facility on Atlantic Avenue and set out to create a pie factory where every pie was made from scratch. News of those remarkable pies spread fast, and demand grew steadily — the Balta Pie Company supplied pies to nearly every restaurant in town.
As the business grew, two of Leo's brothers moved the Balta Pie Company to a larger plant in Henrietta, where they made and distributed unbaked and frozen pies to larger accounts, including supermarket chains. That operation was later acquired by General Mills, which still runs it and sells pies across the country.
Leo stayed on Atlantic Avenue, opening a retail shop and continuing to sell his pies to local restaurants and stores. He also baked irresistible brownies, chocolate cakes and donuts — treats enjoyed by generations of East High School students who still share their memories today.
Two Bakeries, One Neighborhood
Only five buildings away, another entrepreneur had a similar idea: open a bakery to test the flour being milled at the Daisy Flour Mill. The flour proved excellent, producing tender, flaky cookies that were sold in the Atlantic Avenue retail store. The bakery took the fitting name "Elite Baking Company." For more than 50 years the two bakeries ran side by side — Leo's offering pies, cakes and pastries, and Elite offering cookies — serving customers throughout Rochester.
In 2004, Pat and Kathy Bernunzio, the current owners of Leo's Bakery & Deli, bought the Elite Baking Company and moved both businesses to the present East Rochester location. A full-service deli joined the lineup in 2009, the retail store doubled in size in 2010, and more grocery items were added. Today there is even more to enjoy at Leo's. YUMMY! The rest is history.
Visit Leo's Bakery & Deli
101 Despatch Drive, East Rochester, NY 14445
We're open seven days a week: Monday–Saturday 8am–8pm and Sunday 8am–6pm. Fax: 585-249-9231.
Call 585-249-1000 Back to HomePowered by: webWAH!
Leo's Bakery & Deli brings together the pie-making heritage of Leo's and the cookie tradition of the Elite Baking Company under one roof in East Rochester. Stop in for scratch-made pies, cakes, pastries and cookies, or visit the full-service deli for subs, deli meats and cheese, homemade salads and more.