Uff da! Leske’s is finally opening

Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you have all been waiting for is almost here: the legendary Leske’s Bakery will have its grand opening on Wednesday, August 8 at 11:30 a.m.

“The entire team is incredibly excited. I feel we are really well supported by the community,” said Harry Hawk, culinary consultant for Leske’s. “People stop by every day, all day, talking to folks working here. On Facebook, we reached people from all over the region and each has a story about Leske’s in their family. That’s the reason we want to continue.”

The famed Scandinavian bakery closed its doors in June, 2011 and Ridgeites have been waiting since then with baited breath for black and white cookies, kringle and freshly baked donuts.

Hawk said that three out of the four original bakers will be back at Leske’s, using all of the same recipes. The bakery will also have the same family-oriented atmosphere. The new management team – -baker Stephen Howe, and owners Steven DeSimone, Kenny Grande and Hawk – have been friends since childhood and their children all attend local schools.

The bakery has been modernized with a new electrical and plumbing systems, and of course new ovens, which will bake fresh Italian bread for 99 cents a loaf throughout the day.

Starting on August 9, Leske’s hours will be 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. “We especially wanted people to have off-peak times, before and after work,” Hawk said, adding that during the opening, they will be giving away free cookies.

Ridgeites warmly welcomed the news.

“I want to be the first in the door,” said Greg Ahl, a member of Community Board 10 who remembers visiting Leske’s every Sunday morning as a child with his brothers and sisters. His favorite confection is their Boston cream donuts.

Victoria Hofmo, founder of the Scandinavian East Coast Museum, said she couldn’t wait to have a waleskringle

“I am thrilled and am bringing kids over from summer program when it opens,” Hofmo said, referring to the program at the Christ Church Afterschool where she works. “I am really happy about it.”

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