You know that when you’re talking about Camden County Democratic Political Potentate, George E. Norcross, III, and former Republican Atlantic County Freeholder Board Chairman Frank Formica there has to be a lot of dough on the table.

I mean this literally and figuratively in this breaking news report.

After speaking earlier today with Norcross and Formica, we are the first to report that Norcross and his family has entered into an agreement to purchase a majority stake in Formica’s Bakery, a South Jersey institution and the baker of the “World Famous Atlantic City Bread” this collaboration is in partnership with Pat McKenna.

Norcross confirmed to me that under the new ownership, the bakery will undergo a significant multi-million dollar expansion and be rebranded under the new name Formica - Freitag Bakery.

Here is the very first look at the new logo:

Formica - Freitag Bakery new logo - George E. Norcross, III photo.
Formica - Freitag Bakery new logo - George E. Norcross, III photo.
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This is in honor, memory, and recognition of Norcross’ paternal grandfather August Freitag who founded The Freitag Bakery in Camden in 1890. Few have known before this report that the bakery business is a great tradition within The Norcross Family for more than 100 years.

The patriarch of the Norcross family, George E. Norcross, worked at his father-in-law’s bakery, Freitag’s Bakery, at 247 Kaighn Avenue in Camden, New Jersey.

We believe that our new partnership will be a credit to our families legacies and that Formica Freitag Bakery will be just as important a part of people’s happy memories as Formica’s has been for the last 100 years,” concluded Norcross.

Frank Formica, is the legendary grandson of Formica’s founder, Francesco Formica.

We have also confirmed that Frank Formica will continue as the company’s senior consultant and his focus will be to “expand on the brand essence and promise,” said Norcross.

For generations, my family and almost every person who has visited the Shore have eaten Formica’s Italian breads – in restaurants and hoagie shops, on the beach, and walking down the boardwalk,” said Norcross to me earlier today.

We are excited to continue on its proud heritage of providing great food and great service and build on it for the next hundred years,” said Norcross.

Formica’s has been at its current location at 2310 Arctic Avenue since 1928.

At its height, Formica’s served more than 280 local businesses, including all of the famed delicatessens, sub shops, Cape May heritage properties, and the Atlantic City Casinos to name a few.

Like so many others, I grew up eating bread from Formica’s and I am excited that this new partnership will allow us to bring our ’World Famous Atlantic City Bread’ to every corner of the country,” said Pat McKenna, a successful entrepreneur and the owner and operator of Taste of Italy.

“I believe in the next few years, the things we make at Formica Freitag Bakery will become one as big a part of people’s celebrations and regular meals as they are to us in South Jersey,” said McKenna.

The next chapter of Formica - Freitag will launch a state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar expansion that will take the famous Atlantic City Bread to national distribution.

Norcross advised that recent technological advancements now allows for the bread to be transported so that it retains the same texture as it does fresh from the Formica ovens.

There are other factors, including that no one outside of Atlantic City has ever been able to recreate the Atlantic City Sub roll. It’s the Atlantic City water that is the “secret sauce” and it can’t be duplicated anywhere else in America … except in Atlantic City.

“I grew up learning how to bake the bread my grandfather and father made – bread that fed millions and is part of cherished memories for generations of people visiting and living down the Shore,” said Frank D. Formica, who took over the family business in 1987.

 “I look forward to working with the Norcross family and Pat McKenna as we build on our families’ legacies and making my grandfather’s bread part of people’s memories for the next 100 years,” said Formica.

Formica has had to navigate the bakery through several economic Recessions, The Great Recession and the equivalent of a Depression in 2008, when multiple Atlantic City Casinos closed forever.

SOURCES: George E. Norcross, III & Frank Formica.

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