Maria's Pastry Shop In Boston's North End Closes
BOSTON (CBS) – An Italian bakery that's been in the North End for decades is closing. Maria's Pastry Shop served up its last cannoli on Sunday.
Owner Maria Merola came to Boston from Italy with her family in 1968. She bought the space at 46 Cross Street in 1982.
"Whatever you buy over here, it's old-fashioned," Merola told WBZ-TV. "A lot of people say that's how their grandmother was making it."
After running the shop for 37 years, Merola said she "got jealous" of her retired friends. She wants to enjoy her later years following a career that had her working seven days a week.
"Business is going up and up and up. That's one of the reasons I'm retiring because I can't work more hours anymore."
The state's tourism website lists Maria's as one of the top three pastry shops in the North End.
"Located a bit off of busy Hanover Street, the small, modest space generally isn't as crowded as the others," the article states. "But, this shouldn't deter would-be cannoli eaters – Maria's is a locally loved institution."
Maria's also has hundreds of "excellent" reviews on TripAdvisor.com, with comments like "old school and amazing" and "If you don't want lines or fancy boxes then this is the real deal."
