Serpico’s Bread Co., a mobile, family-run cafe known for its dedication to old-world craftsmanship and modern flavor, has expanded its handcrafted breads, pizzas, and catering services to the Hamptons.
Jim Serpico, a seasoned TV producer turned passionate baker, created the company in 2020 to reconnect with family and tradition. It started with a simple loaf made at their family table and has grown into a complete culinary experience. Each bite reflects Italian heritage, love, and artisanal techniques. We spoke with Jim to find out more.
You’ve had a career in entertainment — what led to the shift to the culinary industry?
I spent over thirty years as a television and film producer. When COVID shut down the entertainment industry, I found myself at home with my wife and three adult children. To pass the time, we began baking bread and pasta together, sharing photos of our creations on Instagram. Almost immediately, friends, family, and strangers started reaching out, asking how they could get their hands on what we were making. That’s how our delivery business began — just us, bringing bread across Long Island from our home kitchen.
When Hollywood reopened, I realized I wasn’t eager to return. I had fallen in love with the immediacy and satisfaction of baking — a stark contrast to the long, uncertain development cycles of film and television. In entertainment, you can work on a project for years only to see it die in a boardroom. In baking, I could start my day with flour and water and end it with a loaf in someone’s hands. That feeling was impossible to ignore.
What was the biggest surprise — or challenge — in starting Serpico’s Bread Co.?
The biggest challenge has been keeping pace with how quickly the business has evolved. As a self-taught baker managing production, staffing, event logistics, and limited storage space, there’s always a new puzzle to solve. We’ve had to build intricate mixing and baking schedules while scaling up operations without compromising quality.
Five years ago, I never imagined we’d be catering dozens of events a month or operating a state-of-the-art mobile café featuring a six-foot, hand-tiled Neapolitan pizza oven — serving everything from weddings and corporate parties to stadium crowds. The learning curve has been steep, but the momentum keeps us moving.
Bread has always brought people together. Do you have a favorite story or moment where your bread did just that?
One of the most rewarding parts of running Serpico’s Bread Co. has been using our platform to bring people together — not just around food, but for a greater purpose. We’ve organized what we call “restaurant flash mobs,” where we invite our customers to show up in force at a local restaurant that could use a boost.
We turn an otherwise slow night into a packed house, ensuring the staff has a great night, both financially and energetically. These events only happen because of the community that’s grown around our bread and pizza — people who trust us, believe in us, and want to support others. It’s proof that a loaf of bread can be much more than food — it can be a catalyst for connection.
Do you see parallels between storytelling and bread-making? How has your creative background influenced your approach to this business?
Absolutely. Every pizza we make and every loaf we bake tells a story — about where we’ve been, what we value, and how we want people to feel when they take a bite. That sensibility comes directly from my years in Hollywood. In production, you learn to think about structure, timing, detail, and emotion — all of which translate surprisingly well into food.
We don’t just create menu items — we craft experiences. I approach each event like a scene, thinking through the setting, the cast (our team), the pacing, and the emotional payoff. Our brand identity, visual storytelling, even our social media — it all reflects that same mindset of connecting with an audience in a meaningful way.
What’s next for Serpico’s Bread Co.? Any new projects or collaborations on the horizon?
We’re planning an immersive culinary tour of Southern Italy in April 2026. Inspired by the very trips that shaped our menu, we’ll be taking a group of customers and food lovers on a hands-on journey — learning to make pasta in local homes, baking bread in Altamura, and mastering Naples-style street food. It’s more than a trip — it’s a way to share the roots of what we do and deepen the connection between our brand and the people who support it.
