It’s as American a story as they come. Around 1900, with nothing more than a suitcase and $16 in his pocket, Augusto Caporale immigrated to the United States from Abruzzo, Italy. Drawn by the promise of work, he landed in Cumberland, Maryland, then the second largest city in the state. With an entrepreneurial spirit and a knack for baking, Caporale opened Caporale’s Italian Bakery in 1906. Four generations later, it remains in the family.
But Caporale’s isn’t just a family story—it’s also the story of a community. Through wars, storms, recessions, and even a couple of pandemics, the bakery has remained a cornerstone in Cumberland. It’s the place people turn for a familiar face, a hot loaf of Italian bread, and, in current Owner Dave Caporale, a local member of the county commission.
While the bakery has moved locations in Cumberland a couple of times, its customers have always followed. “Both the store and its customers are generational,” said Dave. “We see kids coming in here with their parents and grandparents who used to come in when they were kids.”
A look around the store’s walls can attest to that. Pictures plaster the space, telling the story of a family, a store, and a town, all woven together through the course of history.
There through it all
When Augusto Caporale first opened his bakery, it was in a small storefront in South Cumberland. There, he built a reputation for traditional, crusty Italian breads baked in a wood-fired oven. “It was a thriving neighborhood back then, which helped him build the business,” said great-grandson Dave.
Indeed, Cumberland was home to several types of manufacturing and businesses. From textiles to paper, beer, glassmaking, and the Kelly Springfield Tire Company, locals could feel secure in steady employment. Many recognized it as the “gateway to the West,” where the C & O Canal terminated, the national highway began, and numerous railroads passed through. Like many other industrial cities in the country, however, Cumberland began to fall on harder times when many of those industries began struggling.
As the town’s population began to shrink, it could have been easy for Caporale’s to close shop, too, but that was never an option for a family passionate about its business. Dave’s father Gus took over the bakery after serving in Vietnam and moved it temporarily outside the city limits to nearby LaVale, Maryland. In the 1980s, however, he returned to Cumberland and located the bakery in a historic storefront. “It has a deceptive appearance if you’re coming in from the back,” said Dave. “It’s bigger than you might realize.”
Both the store and its customers are generational. We see kids coming in here with their parents and grandparents who used to come in when they were kids.Dave Caporale, Owner of Caporale's
Inside the bakery, the “new” oven—it’s 40 years old—has allowed the business to expand and grow. Its customer base includes a large wholesale presence, and you can find the bakery’s products in local markets, convenience stores, restaurants, and even the school system. On any Friday night in the fall, you can even buy Caporale’s pizza at the local high school football games.
In all this time, surprisingly little has changed about how the bakery operates, other than its scale. “We’ve kept the recipes pretty close over the years,” said Dave. “The supplies change some and so we’ve altered the recipes when needed. We’ve also changed our bread to make it a bit softer, because that’s more in demand these days.”
Dave began working the cash register in high school and is the one of four siblings who has stepped into the family business, taking over from his dad more than a decade ago. His wife Melissa similarly stepped into her mother-in-law Cindy’s shoes, taking over bookkeeping and other tasks.
The Caporales close the storefront on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but on Sundays, they bring in special products not available other days of the week. That’s when Gus keeps his hand in the business, baking sweet treats at home and selling them in the storefront.
Baked in connection
Over the years, Caporale’s has served not just as a bakery to the community, but an employer, too. “We have one father, son, and grandson who have all worked here, and one of our managers has been with us for 30 years,” said Dave. “Our employees are a bit like family, too.”
Caporale’s role in the community took on an even greater importance last year, when western Maryland was hit with catastrophic flooding. Cumberland’s neighboring town of Westport suffered damage to water and sewer lines, school buildings, and more. As an Allegany County commissioner, Dave went to bat trying to secure emergency funding from the state and federal governments.
It hasn’t been an easy task, as the federal government denied funds to the county and the state itself is operating in a large deficit. But Dave has been front and center in trying to get his community back on its feet. “It’s been overwhelming here,” he said. “For weeks, we had emergency and support vehicles from other counties showing up with equipment and help. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Just as the bakery provides the pizza to the local stadiums for its Friday night football games, Dave keeps close watch on the community that has kept his family in business for more than a century.
As he looks to the future, Dave is unsure if his high-school–aged kids will take over when he eventually retires, but his son just began helping in the bakery on occasion. When he considers the bakery’s long, successful run, Dave said it all comes down to connections. “We are proud to still be serving the area,” he said. “We love the area and it’s a big reason we’re still here.”
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