This Italian original serves cookies, pastries, cannoli and … need I go on?

By Roy Harryman

My work consists entirely of helping small businesses make a big impact. And I like to help out my compatriots when I can – especially when I see a business that’s truly excellent.

My family is full of foodies, so I frequently look for cafes, bakeries and other locales we have not yet visited. When I was scanning the internet, I came across Scola’s Original Italian Cookies & Pastries in Kansas City North.

It was a Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. and my experience with bakeries is that, by that time of day, the shelves are usually bare. So I called. They told me the shelves were fully loaded and that there were only a few types of specialty bread they were low on. And they were open until 8 p.m. A bakery, on a Sunday, open until 8 p.m. Unbelievable.

We piled into the car and headed north. We could hardly believe our eyes at the diverse and beautiful offerings of cannoli (you choose your own flavor of filling), cookies, biscotti, cheesecake, espresso and more. How had we not heard of this wonderland?

On my second trip I engaged the staff about the history of the bakery. Turns out it opened in 2020 – not a great time to open a business. However, they were met with instant appreciation from customers, who wiped out all of the goodies before closing time each day.

The origin of the business was a catering company. Founder Joe Scola wanted to expand to offer a retail cafe. And we’re so glad he did.

Connect with Scola’s on their Facebook page. Or better yet, in person!