Excitement arose in town on Saturday with the grand opening of Flour Power, a new bakery on Boston Post Road in Pelham Manor. Flour Power replaces the Bakery at Four Corners, which closed in 2018.

“I think I speak for all of us when I say we have missed having a bakery in the Four Corners Shopping Center,” said Chamber of Commerce President Cristina Chianese. “It was always ‘the stop’ to families and caretakers to go after school. I think having Flour Power open in this location will bring a lot of foot traffic to the surrounding businesses and fill a void we have all been feeling.”

Flour Power was established by New York natives and best friends Miranda Bucciero and Lauren Gibaldi. Bucciero and Gibaldi met in college and bonded over their New York roots and love for baking. After working in several bakeries in positions including head baker and kitchen manager, the two decided to fulfill their dream of co-owning a bakery.

Bucciero and Gibaldi featured unique recipes at the online baking company they started in 2019, and their popularity increased over social media throughout 2020, a big year for online ordering because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their intricate seasonal cookies were an extreme hit, boosting their orders from 25 to 30 per month to about 300.

“We were so convinced that this was a fluke,” said Bucciero. “It was so hard to believe that it would ever turn into anything big.”

By July of 2020, the two took the brave step during the pandemic of signing the lease for their spot at Four Corners.

In addition to serving unique, homemade baked goods, Flour Power offers a variety of ice cream imported from Maine. They also cater locally-brewed coffee sourced from Caffè Ammi and take pride in their many breakfast options, including scones, biscuits, muffins and breads. In the summer, they plan to have a service-style window for ice cream.

Local politicians and community members showed their support for the new business at the grand opening. “It is now our collective honor to wish Lauren and Miranda the very best as we open Flour Power,” said Pelham Manor Mayor Jennifer Monachino Lapey before cutting the ribbon to open the bakery.

County Executive George Latimer also spoke while presenting a proclamation to the new business owners: “This proclamation on behalf of a very grateful group of us including the mayor, the village board, the town board and many other local officials who have worked together to make things  happen positively. Congratulations again for all of your hard work to make this happen, even during a pandemic.”

When choosing a location for their bakery, Bucciero and Gibaldi said that a big part of Pelham’s appeal was its approachable atmosphere.

“The community has been and continues to be so welcoming,” Bucciero said.

“It was nice to have people who were so excited about a new business in town, especially during this very difficult time,” said Gibaldi.

Gibaldi encouraged new customers to try any of Flour Power’s “funfetti” confections, and Bucciero, who loves cookie dough treats, recommends the Sassy Brownie.