Somerville Sweet Shop Patsy's Pastry to Shutter

After 46 years in business, Patsy's Pastry Shop in East Somerville is closing its doors on May 4 to make way for a 19-unit residential building, the Somerville Times reported. The project, developed by YIHE Group in Cambridge, will include retail on the first floor, and according to Patsy's co-owner Sal Ferrigno, his family-owned business will have the first option to lease the storefront. "If we’re all still healthy, and we want to make a go of it, it’s something that we could certainly consider. Who knows?" he said.

Since they were in their 20s, Sal and his brother, Vito, have been working in the sweet shop founded by their father, the namesake Patsy. Their wives, Maria and Rose, joined the affair as well. While leaving the door open for a second act within the new development, Sal notes the quartet hasn't had a "vacation in a very long time."

Patsy's, an Italian-style bakery, initially opened to support the family's food truck business, but soon eclipsed that venture in sales, the Times notes. It has become known for its decorative and rich cakes, including an Italian sponge cake layered with strawberries and whipped cream. It also offers amaretto pastries, cannoli, and fruit tarts, as well as giant cookies.

Elsewhere in Somerville, farmers market favorite 7ate9 Bakery, which specializes in cheesecake, plans to open just a mile and a half west "very, very soon."

UPDATE: Patsy's will indeed reopen in the new building.