Cafe Pierrot celebrates 25 years of sweet success

Cafe Pierrot is a sweet success story that's celebrating 25 years in business. With locations in Sparta and Andover, the bakery is always bustling with folks stopping in for coffee, breakfast or lunch.

A dream
Owners Rick and Laura Nifenecker began their confectionery course with a dream when Laura visited Rick in Paris, France where he was studying at Le Cordon Bleu.

"We dreamed of opening a cafe and naming it after the French clown, Pierrot," she said.

Rick graduated with his Grande Diplome returned to the states to work in New York City at The Four Seasons, then with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque. The couple settled in the Cranberry Lake section of Byram, and in 1989, it was time to make that dream a reality.

They opened Cafe Pierrot on Route 2006 in Andover.

"Rick grew up in Sussex County, and we knew we wanted to start our business near his home," Laura said. "The Andover bakery started as a wholesale — retail bakery; featuring bread, pastries, specialty and wedding cakes made from scratch."

Their breads and confections earned them such a solid customer base that in 1994 they opened a second location: a restaurant and catering business with the same name in Sparta. In 2008, Rick pursued further education at the Culinary Institute of America receiving the ProChef 3 certification. He also sharpened his skills during summer vacations by working at Café Boulud and Restaurant Daniel in Manhattan.

The couple has developed a repertoire of products that stand apart from those sold at other local sources, and their cakes, pastries, meals and catering menu have helped them carve a niche for themselves in the community and a loyal customer base.

"This has truly been a family business," Laura said. "Since the very beginning, Rick’s mom, Kathy, worked in both locations in retail, greeting all of our customers."

Their daughters, Danielle and Stefanie, grew up in this business

"It will always be a huge part of who they are," Laura said. "Stefanie has a gluten allergy, so we are now working to offer more gluten-free products for our customers."

In their 25 years in business, the Nifeneckers have seen the economy go through ebs and flows.

"We are always looking to add value to the customer experience," Laura said. "We recently introduced a new coffee line of freshly roasted coffee beans from a local roaster. Our house blend is a delicious Sumatra and has been well received by customers."

Food trends
"The industry is constantly changing, and we are constantly studying trends — colors for wedding cakes, flavored/filled cupcakes, macarons — in order to stay relevant," Laura added. "We use social media to reach new customers and keep current customers informed about the new products we offer."

To this end, Cafe Pierrot has Instagram and Facebook pages to see daily updates and pictures of their foods.

The Nifeneckers said that their catering business is their largest growing segment.

"We offer many food options for pick up or delivery, allowing customers to have the complete party at a reasonable cost," Laura said. "We also offer off-premise catering and barbecues with our mobile kitchen."

The catering part of the business has blossomed to serve showers, birthdays, weddings and any special event. The catering menu can be tailored to suit the customer and the affair. Some features include Chicken Champagne, Pene Primavera, Lasagna, Eggplant Rollatini, Beef/Porkl Bourquiqnonne, Pepper Steak, Hungarian Goulash, Sauerbraten, Beef Wellington, Soul Roulades and an array of side dishes. Cafe Pierrot also features fruit, sandwich, croissant, vegetable, cheese and wrap platters as well as gourmet heros.

Soups, salads, quiches and sandwiches fill the cafe menu. As to the bakery part of the business, customer favorites during the holiday season include: stollen, yulelogs, gingerbread and beef wellington. Cafe Pierrot features Kings Cakes for Mardi Gras, Babka for Easter and complete turkey dinners and handmade pies for Thanksgiving. Coming for Valentine's Day, look for their special dinner and dessert menu and artisan breads and homemade soups.

In its 25 year tenure, the Nifeneckers say its the combination of quality product made from scratch and incredible team members that set Café Pierrot apart.

"We are an integral part of the local community, donating often to many organizations," Laura said. "For the past 25 years, and every day going forward, we strive to share our passion for food, faith, family, and friends with our North Jersey customers."

Visit www.cafepierrot.com to see photos of some of the Cafe's confections, view their menus and/or set up a cake tasting or catering.