Faragalli’s Bakery in South Philly is set to reopen after oven collapse

Shuttered for seven months after its century-old firebrick oven collapsed, Faragalli’s Bakery in South Philadelphia will reopen on Nov. 5. Venerated for its rustic, unvarnished loaves kindled on South Philly scrap wood, the corner bakery closed in April after portions of its oven caved in after the water department drilled into the street outside.

In the weeks after the accident, hundreds of Faragalli’s customers, friends, and neighbors rushed to donate over $51,000 to a GoFundMe campaign to repair the cavernous hearth, which is about the size of a well-appointed rowhouse living room. The oven is now repaired and ready to go.

“It’s remarkable,” said owner Phil Faragalli Sr., 72. “People are so nice. It’s unbelievable how fast they raised that money. Without them I never could have done it.”

A family friend started the GoFundMe campaign in April after word spread in the neighborhood that Faragalli’s may close for good.

The tiny bakery prides itself on its distinctive old-world bread, dense and chewy, and made with no preservatives — only flour, water, yeast, and a little salt. Three generations of Faragallis have toiled in the maw of the great oven. Phil Faragalli’s father, Anthony, famously converted it from coal- to wood-burning in the 1970s, kindling family furniture and doors when the coal delivery man didn’t show. By 2023, when the oven collapsed, Faragalli’s was thought to be the only wood-fired hearth production bakery in the city.

Repairs on the ancient kiln, built in a Washington Avenue factory around World War I, cost around $70,000, Faragalli said. The family said it baked fine before city-contracted crews installing new pipes dug into the street with a backhoe.

Richard Bredbenner, president of the Berks County refractory installation company that handled the repairs, said the vibration from the street work likely loosened masonry supporting the oven’s arch, causing heavy brick to collapse. It could have been worse, he said.

“He has a very good archangel because the whole arch could have come down, which would have been a major catastrophe,” Bredbenner said.

During repairs, Faragalli, who works the bakery with his son, Phil Jr., decided it was time to convert the old oven to gas-burning. He said he wanted to respect the concerns of newer residents who worried he could be burning wood treated with chemicals (Faragalli says the bakery only ever used untreated wood.)

Besides, he’s not worried the bread will taste any different.

“Everybody’s going, ‘Well, is it going to taste the same?’ ” Faragalli said with a smile. “Give me a break. I’ll get the bread the right way. I’ve been making bread all my life.”

While it was closed, Faragalli took the time to give the bakery, which opened in 1945, a refresh with a deep-cleaning and fresh coat of paint.

“It looks like a new bakery,” he said.

More than anything, Faragalli said he wants to express his gratitude to everyone who helped save his bakery. His family had always tried to treat people the right way, he said. It was overwhelming to see so many people return the favor.

“I just want to say thank you,” he said.