By Myles Ma
In its 85 years of existence, the Barbero family has shepherded Barbero Bakery from its origins in Chambersburg. Today the bakery has a franchise in Hamilton, and while it was out of family hands for the past five years, Robert McVicker hopes to return Barbero Bakery and Deli to its roots.
“Barbero’s means something around here because it’s been around so long,” McVicker said.
McVicker, was brought up in the business. From age 15 to 21, he worked at the Barbero Bakery and Deli at the Concord Square plaza on Route 33 in Hamilton Square.
The store has since moved west along Route 33 to its current Mercerville location. McVicker left the business for seven years to work in the sheet metal union, but he has come back to give the store a family touch again.
Since taking over March 1, McVicker has rearranged the store, and put more an emphasis on the deli. He believes the deli has an advantage over others because of the formidable combination of Boar’s Head meats and Barbero’s bread, which he said is the best around.
“There’s nothing like getting a sandwich with Boar’s Head meat on our bread,” he said. “Nothing beats it.”
Despite the new emphasis on the deli side of the business, the Barbero’s foundation has always been its bread. The bakery’s stick breads have always been among its most popular items, and for breakfast, the bakery sells donuts, pastries and muffins.
The bakery also lets people bake their own Barbero’s bread. The bakery carries its own dough, which people can buy and bake on their own.
This summer, McVicker plans to push summer picnic food, like hot dog rolls, hamburger buns and pork roll in the deli. The bakery also offers hot and cold catering, a frozen food section, homemade sauces and soups and daily lunch specials.
For McVicker, 32, the quality of the bread, and knowing he could stand by the product, is what helped convince him to come back from the sheet metal union. McVicker said the bakery has been a lifelong passion of his.
McVicker said he preferred the lasting satisfaction of running his own bakery to working at the sheet metal union, where the job simply ended when he clocked out.
“It’s a big difference,” he said. “With the union, it was a different feeling of worth.”
It is that sense of fulfillment that keeps McVicker coming in every morning at 4 to prepare the store for the business day, and satisfying customers sustains him through his work day.
McVicker grew up in Mercer County. He lived in Robbinsville and graduated from Lawrence High School in 1996, though he attended Steinert High School briefly. He has since moved to Hamilton, and was married a few weeks ago.
Barbero Bakery and Deli is located at 337 Route 33 in Hamilton. Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (609) 584-9999.
,
