Rito's Bakery in Brunswick to close by the end of the month

BRUNSWICK — After 60 years of business, Rito's Bakery in Brunswick will close its doors because of retirement at the end of the month. Santo Rito was born in 1937 and began learning the trade of baking as a child while living in Italy. He brought his baking skills to the United States and opened Rito's in Cleveland in 1965. "My father was an immigrant," his son Jim Rito said. "He really didn't know the language that well and had a fifth-grade education, but his ambition and hard work got him great success and taught us the meaning of work ethic." The business came to Brunswick, at 1930 Pearl Road, around 25 years ago, he said. The bakery serves cookies, cannoli and cassata cakes, along with other types of European desserts. "The real story here is that I really want known is this was a total family effort," Rito said. "Everybody in the family chipped in and helped whenever needed through the holidays, and it was everybody's first job." Rito and his siblings have been running the business since their father's retirement. He said the facility is so large, it is hard to manage at their age. "It's got to the point where our minds are ready to go, but our bodies are breaking down," he said. "All our kids are all in professional jobs. It was a great steppingstone for all the kids to learn work ethic and then move on to their profession now." The employees at Rito's are also in their 60s, and it was challenging to find workers to replace them once they retired, Rito said. "People aren't getting into the trade of baking per se," he said. "They really aren't doing things from scratch, so it's kind of a lost art. That's what made us special." The business was up for sale for around a year and a half, but the challenge was that it was a large space with a commercial size kitchen, Rito said. Then, the Djurin family, who own Das Schnitzel Haus and Schnitz Ale Brewery, came around. "Brunswick sorely needs, I think, a family-run place like that," he said. "I think they're going to do so well, and I couldn't be more happy for them or excited for what they can do there." The Djurin family announced in a news release their intention to include Rito's staple items like angel wings, cannoli and biscotti within the new bakery's lineup. Besides the bakery, they intend to sell dishes like chicken paprikash, pierogi, strudel and schnitzel along with its craft beer selection. "We're immensely honored to carry forward the essence of Rito's Bakery as we step into this exciting transition," Igor Djurin said in a statement. "While we're creating a new bakery and market under our own banner, we are committed to paying homage to the remarkable recipes that have made Rito's a standout in the community. Mixing timeless Italian creations with our own rich culinary background is a journey we're delighted to undertake." Rito's last day is May 31, and the Rito family intends to stay for around a month to help with the transition. The opening date for the new business has not been announced yet. "The other great thing about this transition is they were gracious enough to ask our employees to stay on if they wanted to," Rito said. "That made it easier for us because you always worry about your help and how is this going to affect them?" There has been an overwhelming response from old customers since the announcement of the bakery closing, he said. Many customers have revisited the store to share their memories of the business. "There's just different stories that are heartwarming for us to hear," Rito said. "You don't realize how much you touch people's lives." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.