Chef and restaurateur David Burke operates more than half a dozen restaurants around New Jersey, from a classic steakhouse to restaurants serving seafood and Cuban food.
Now he can add bakery to the list: Burke, a celebrity chef and alumnus of the famed École Lenôtre Pastry School in France, will celebrate the opening of David Burke’s Dixie Lee Bakery in Keansburg — his eighth New Jersey location and first bakery — with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon July 14, according to a press release.
“I live in the area and I have witnessed an increased interest, both residential and commercial, and I have great faith that the Bayshore and the Route 36 corridor (are) finally coming of age,” Burke said. “This is a very exciting time for me in my professional career, for my team and the Bayshore region.”
The grand opening event, which will feature cookies and other sweets, will be attended by descendants of the bakery’s original founders, Justine and Joseph Slovenz. Dixie Lee bakery has been open for nearly 90 years, first opening its doors in 1933.
Burke, who lives in Atlantic Highlands, acquired the bakery in May and said he plans to uphold the traditions it has within the community.
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“The old school bakery has a great tradition within the community,” Burke said in the release. “My grandfather took my mother there when she was a little girl to buy pastries. We will continue to honor the bakery’s rich past while making gradual improvements to the bakery.”
Burke plans to add a retail coffee business and hold baking classes, as well as social events “that will include baking as a fun and educational activity,” the press release explained.
The bakery will keep its normal hours of operation and be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Go: 303 Main St. in Keansburg; 732-787-0674, dixieleebakerybydb.com.
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