'Cake Boss' closes Red Bank location, but don't worry — Ridgewood and Morristown remain

Show Caption Hide Caption Jim Shorts: The Cake Boss Celebrating their one year anniversary in Red Bank, bakery owner Buddy Valastro aka "The Cake Boss" offers free cake to the public.

If you heard the news that Carlo's Bakery had closed a location, don't worry — it wasn't one of the North Jersey shops.

The bake shop made famous by "Cake Boss" star Buddy Valastro closed its Red Bank location this week, the second shop in New Jersey it's closed in 2018.

Carlo's closed its Westfield store in April. While the Red Bank and Westfield locations may be closed, the Ridgewood and Morris locations will remain open.

A sign posted on the door in Red Bank Wednesday morning announced "We Are Closing." It directed customers to Carlo's Bakery locations in Marlton and Philadelphia. News of the closing was first reported by redbankgreen.

Valastro opened a Carlo's Bakery shop in Red Bank nearly five years ago in November 2013. Hundreds of people waited in line.

Spokeswoman Nicole Valdes said the lease ended in Red Bank. The store closed on Tuesday.

"Ultimately, Buddy has been looking at a new concept of combining the dining and baking experience for guests and fans," Valdes said. "Unfortunately, the Red Bank location was determined to be not the appropriate place for it."

It was not large enough, she added. "We are looking at other locations (in New Jersey) to possibly host a new concept."

James Scavone, executive director of Red Bank RiverCenter, said he had spoken to the store's representatives in recent weeks and knew the store was closing.

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"I think there's a lot of options in Red Bank and we have some really spectacular bakeries, Antoinette Boulangerie and Lady K's (Bake Shop)," Scavone said. "Maybe Red Bank just wasn't the right market for that kind of business."

Besides the Red Bank location, Carlo's Bakery has five other locations in New Jersey, including the Hoboken location made famous by "Cake Boss." It also had 15 shops in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, Minnesota, California, Georgia and Texas. The website even lists a store in Brazil.

"I think they were trying some different things to see if they could become more of that community type of bakery," Scavone said.

Visitors to Red Bank are often more likely to explore "local moms and pops" than go to a chain store, he said.

"I think Buddy definitely had a draw, but he was not in the Red Bank store," Scavone said. "I am not sure that draw really was relevant in Red Bank."

Kaitlyn Kanzler contributed to this story.