T-L Photo/JOSIE BURKHART Giovanni’s Bakery opens in Bellaire, taking the place of Unique Treats by Jacquie. It will sell items, such as hard crust Italian bread and pepperoni rolls. Pictured are owner John Gianangeli and kitchen manager Lisa Balog.

BELLAIRE — Giovanni’s Bakery is now open in Bellaire after it moved into the spot previously occupied by Unique Treats by Jacquie.

Owner of Unique Treats Jacquie Jochumsen retired, which gave owner of Giovanni’s Bakery John Gianangeli a chance to move his business to the location at 3050 Belmont St., he said.

The new bakery opened Feb. 1, offering the same treats the community already loves but with some new menu items as well.

The bakery provides homemade soups, lasagna, hard crust Italian bread, doughnuts, cakes, cupcakes, pepperoni rolls, coleslaw, ham salad, chicken salad and more. People will also be able to order specialty cakes, such as for a birthday or anniversary.

Gianangeli said the bakery has already been swamped, and it’s selling out of food each day.

Every item from the bakery is made in house, and former owner of My Way Cafe Lisa Balog is now the kitchen manager at the bakery and makes homemade items such as lasagna.

Balog said she’s from Bellaire and lives there, and after running her own cafe she wanted to be back at home to see familiar faces and help Gianangeli expand his menu.

Balog hopped on board to make everything from scratch from her family recipes.

Giovanni’s Bakery is looking to have different menu items every day, such as having lasagna one day and soup another.

Gianangeli plans to put a menu up at the store and on its Facebook page once it’s up and running.

The bakery will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The business is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

A cake decorator and cashier who puts out baked goods also work at the bakery.

Prices at the bakery vary, with pepperoni rolls that go for $2 or hard crust Italian bread that goes for $5. Gianangeli said prices vary every day depending on what the business is making, such as soups going for $6-$8.

Gianangeli said the name Giovanni’s Bakery comes from the first name of his grandfather, who came over from Italy. He said Giovanni translates to John in English.

Before opening the bakery, Gianangeli worked in a home improvement business but was ready to get more into the bakery business after he retired. He also baked while he served in the U.S. Army as a cook.

Although Gianangeli lives in St. Clairsville now, he grew up in Bellaire, so he wanted to open his bakery business for that community.

“I retired at 72 and then when my wife passed away, and I’m thinking, ‘I’m sitting around the house.’ I redid my whole house, and I updated everything. So I figured, ‘Well, you know what I’m going to do now?’ I wanted to do something. And then this came about, and it just worked out perfectly.”

He also wanted to keep the business in Bellaire since Unique Treats by Jacquie just closed.

“When we opened up (Feb. 1), I was surprised,” Gianageli said. “I mean, we got swamped, just people coming in, you know, so happy that we kept the bakery here.”

Gianangeli is looking forward to meeting people in Bellaire and coming back to his hometown and helping people pick out food they might like.

“Just helping the village of Bellaire,” Gianangeli said. “The overall atmosphere has been good … just meeting people, that’s what I enjoy, meeting people. It’s just a good feeling to serve people. And then they come in and you get together to talk to them, where they’re from, things of that nature.”