Maria Notaro and her dad own La Guli Pastry Shop located at 29-15 Ditmars Blvd in Astoria. Maria tells us, “I am the third generation here. My grandfather Paolo Notaro opened this location in 1937. And this was his third location – he had another two in Manhattan. He opened here and lived upstairs with my grandmother and my dad. In those days Astoria was considered “the country,” and his Manhattan friends would tease him asking if he was going to sell cannoli to the ravens.
“I was born in Italy, but grew up in New York – the Bronx, where my dad had another pastry shop. That is where I got all my experience. After high school my family moved to Italy, where I spent some years. When we moved back I worked in the travel industry, mostly in their tech sector. It was great until 9/11 and the travel industry changed. After trying a few different directions, La Guli was up for sale, my uncle who had had it till 1994 had sold it out of the family – but in late 2005 we bought it back!”
QS: La Guli is a family-owned and run business. What are some of the pros and cons of working together?
MN: The pros are that it is just my parents and I left here, and I know I am extremely lucky to still have them. Running La Guli together keeps them active and sharp. The con is having no time for anything else, and the sacrifices are many.
QS: What is the key to La Guli’s sustainability in the ever-changing landscape of Astoria?
MN: Having loyal customers and trying to keep traditions as much as possible.
QS: Your family brought over recipes from Palermo with them – do you have a favorite?
MN: The St. Joseph Pastries and the Italian Ices are a couple, thankfully both are seasonal.
QS: La Guli has been featured on Blue Bloods! Please tell our readers more about that.
MN: We work with Blue Bloods and other TV shows and movie studios. We work well with them, I love being creative and they know we are flexible for them.
QS: When you aren’t working, what are some of your favorite places and or things to do locally in Astoria?
MN: The key to this question is “when I am not working”! I close two days a year, so I really do not have too much time. I love Astoria because there is such a variety of different restaurants with food from all over the world. Whatever I may be in the mood for I am sure to find a great place in Astoria for that type of food.
Check out La Guli perfect for any occasion: Wedding Cakes, Baptism Cakes, Custom Cupcakes, Special Event Cakes, Smash Cakes (Messy but your baby will LOVE IT!), Gender Reveal Cakes (Color inside your cake, pink or blue, reveals the baby’s gender to your family!), Birthday Cakes, Picture Cakes – You can upload your “EDIBLE PICTURE”, Italian Cookies,
Italian Ices – Homemade on premises (seasonal; we now sell large sizes, up to a half gallon!), Gelato – Homemade on premises, Mother’s Day / Father’s Day cakes, Graduation cakes with any theme related to the graduate.
La Guli delivers locally and ships throughout the U.S. and Canada!! www.laguli.com/ www.facebook.com/LaGuliPastryShop
—Melissa Mennona
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