Buddy Valastro went from unknown baker to the undisputed boss of cakes. But it came at a price,
as he nearly lost his livelihood in a freak accident in his private mansion.
The "Cake Boss" story started with the original Carlo's shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. First opened
in 1910 by Carlo Guastaffero, the shop was taken over in 1963 by Bartolo Valastro Sr.,
who successfully ran the business for over 30 years. Following his untimely death,
the shop was passed on to his son Buddy Valastro. Buddy learned all the secrets of
the trade from his father and inherited his drive and enthusiasm to pursue their joint
dream of making a small, family-owned Carlo's Bakery into a household name.
Valastro did just that. His appearance in the "Cake Boss" series made him a celebrity,
while orders at Carlo's increased by a stunning 1,000%. But Buddy didn't
stop there — he expanded the business and opened several locations around the country,
expanding to nine states so far and counting.
"I'm here at my newest Carlo's Bakery in San Antonio, Texas baby."
The success of the "Cake Boss" series and Buddy Valastro's popularity could
not be confined to U.S. borders. According to Discovery, the show
has aired in an impressive 200 countries and 45 languages, making Buddy an international star.
Naturally, this has created a demand for outposts of Carlo's bake shops outside the States,
and Brazil was chosen as the ideal destination for the first Carlo's bakery outside the country. And
it was a hit: in 2022, Valastro visited Brazil to celebrate the location's 5th anniversary.
The second location outside American borders was launched in Canada in a slightly unusual
form – as a vending machine that quickly caught on among the Canadians. The official
website details all the current vending machine locations — now available in Toronto, Calgary,
Ottawa, and Quebec — and claims that the stocks are refilled daily. The machines offer several
classic Carlo's cakes packed in neat, plastic containers. Along with vending machines,
the Canadian outpost opened a central store in Port Credit, Mississauga,
that provides cakes, pastries, cookies, and some signature savory treats.
Amazingly those international locations aren't the end of Valastro's food empire either,
as Valastro has also opened a number of other restaurants
and eateries around the country. Think he's just cake? Think again!
Buddy's enthusiasm for food eventually led to Buddy V's Ristorante, his first restaurant that
was opened at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. Though Buddy is best known as a baking expert,
he says that the restaurant business should come as no surprise as food is central to his family
life. The restaurant offers Italian-inspired menus featuring some classic pizza and pasta dishes,
along with his family favorites such as eggplant parmigiana and,
of course, a good selection of traditional Italian desserts.
"A lot of people don't know this, but the Cake Boss can cook."
Valastro's food empire was further expanded with Buddy Valastro Foods – a product line offering
cake kits, fondants, and buttercream. Not only did Buddy Valastro go all out in décor products,
but he also included an additional line of tasty dog treats! Cakes for dogs? Yes,
there's no market demographic too small for Buddy Valastro to conquer!
Of course, none of this would be possible without Buddy's television fame. And at this point,
his TV empire has gone far beyond "Cake Boss." His success on the OG cake show opened the
door for several spin-offs, including the "Next Great Baker," a competition
show that had four seasons and was filmed at Carlo's bakery. There was also a successful
run with "Buddy vs. Duff," a competitive show featuring Valastro and Duff Goldman,
from "Ace of Cakes", battling for the title of the best cake maker.
And although he is best known as a host of his successful series, Buddy Valastro does not shy
away from other media outlets. He is a familiar guest on various TV shows and continually shares
cooking, life, or business experience to a broader audience across multiple media channels.
Plus, Valastro is no stranger to social media. He regularly posts on Instagram,
Facebook, and Twitter accounts, where he maintains his media presence and shares
news regarding business endeavors and personal stories. No matter where you go, there he is!
The success of "Cake Boss" clearly opened many doors,
and Valastro made sure to step through every one of them. From the multiple TV spin-offs to the
series of cookbooks and successful restaurant business, Buddy Valastro cashed in on his fame,
and according to Celebrity Net Worth, his fortune now comes to an estimated $10 million.
Although it may seem that Valastro had it the easy way, it couldn't be further from
the truth. As he shared with The New York Times, many people think he won the lottery,
but he actually spent years trying to earn his place in the competitive bridal market
and continually worked on promotions that eventually landed him the show.
Despite the fame, influence, and wealth,
Buddy Valastro told Mashed that he still works hard at Carlo's alongside his employees,
considering himself, quote, "the general that's on the battlefield with them."
Though he admits that lobster tails are his favorite thing to bake, Buddy Valastro earned
the "Cake Boss" nickname for his impressive festive cakes. And among all the cakes that
Valastro and his bakers whipped up, one certainly stands out for its record-breaking price tag.
In 2011, for the "Cake Boss" season finale, Valastro and his bakers were faced with a
unique and intriguing demand –- to create a $30-million-cake. Designed for a New York
socialite Devorah Rose, the hefty price tag was dictated by dazzling decorations,
as millions of dollars worth of diamonds and jewelry were used to embellish the
chocolate-flavored cake. The design was simple, classic, and elegant, righteously allowing pricey
jewelry to get all the spotlight. Not only was it the most expensive cake featured on
"Cake Boss," but this diamond creation was also supposedly the most expensive cake ever made.
"That's a big f—ing cake!"
It's easy to describe how much "Cake Boss" changed Buddy Valastro's life: in 2010,
just a year after the show premiered on TLC, Buddy Valastro had his first book
published. "Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia" was not
merely a cookbook but a loving memoir of the Valastro family that described their history
from the humble beginnings to the glorious success that ensued with the TV series.
As with anything that Buddy Valastro does, the book gained a lot of publicity and became
a New York Times bestseller! Valastro continued to write,
publishing his second book in 2011. "Baking with the Cake Boss" consists
of 100 recipes and decorating tutorials. The TV star and cake decorator said,
"[It includes] everything I learned at my family's bakery, in the same order I learned it."
Throughout the years, Valastro did not stop publishing and currently has a collection of
seven cookbooks, including "Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss," a selection of savory
recipes proving that he is not merely a baker but also very skillful when it comes to cooking.
As you may have guessed, "Cooking Italian" features some Italian-American classics,
his family's favorites, and some of his signature dishes.
Buddy Valastro has been in the television business for more than a decade,
and though exposure and the constant spotlight can sometimes have harmful
effects or even devastating consequences, it seems that he managed to avoid many of
the perils that fame might bring as his family guy image has never been tarnished.
Along with his Instagram account, where he continually outpours appreciation to his family,
his family has even started their own YouTube channel called Cakehouse. And Valastro never
misses a chance to comment on the importance of his family and how he would not be able
to succeed without his wife Lisa, his sisters, and brothers-in-law, who are
involved in the family business. As it seems, the lucrative business will stay in the family,
as Valastro shared that all of his kids are interested in being a part of his bakery empire.
"One day, I do want to take over the business. I want to
be there for my dad. Now that I'm older, I want to learn from him."
In addition to the loving relationship with his family, Valastro's noble involvement
proves that he didn't let fame and success negatively affect his compassionate nature.
He continued donating zeppoles to Saint Joseph's Church in Jersey City,
a tradition started by his father, and he is part of the Make-a-Wish foundation, an organization
that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. Buddy Valastro shared how important
this work is for him, and it is not difficult to see how much joy he brings these kids.
"Cake Boss' may have made Valastro rich and famous, but he stayed true to his roots and
still lives with his family in New Jersey. They just live, you know,
a little bit larger than before. Buddy and his wife reside in a grand family residence
together with their four children, and the kitchen is naturally one of the focal points
of the Valastro residence. In an interview with People, the couple shared some details,
such as the fully-stocked fridge and the large dining area that can accommodate up to 20 people!
Valastro also explained that it is a very Italian thing to have an additional fridge in the garage,
while Food Network also revealed that the family had to remodel by
adding six ovens and two dishwashers to help them accommodate their guests.
The house is also equipped with a family bowling alley, which may sound like a perfect family
recreation to have in the house, but the family now probably remembers it as a place where Buddy
Valastro experienced a horrible accident when a pin machine impaled his right hand. After several
surgeries, he managed to recover, but the incident remains one of the most challenging moments in
his life. TLC documented the accident and the recovery in the TV special "Road to Recovery."
Buddy Valastro might not be described as a controversial personality, but he is under
the constant media spotlight with every aspect of his life closely investigated and recounted,
including some of the not-so-pleasant details. Probably the biggest issue
he's ever had to face as a celebrity was a DUI charge in 2014. At the time,
the superstar was on the sixth season of the show and the news caused a media frenzy.
As CBS reported, he was pulled over, and after failing sobriety tests,
he was arrested. When faced with the arrest, Valastro allegedly said,
"You can't arrest me! I'm the cake boss!"
Although he later pleaded guilty and apologized,
this certainly wasn't one of his admirable moments.
And it wasn't the only time he has courted controversy. Valastro and the "Cake Boss" team
also got a lot of negative press for an episode featuring Carmen Carrera. The disputed episode
shows an inappropriate prank involving Carrera, a trans model and an actress, and Valastro's
cousin Anthony. To make matters worse, Buddy Valastro even drops the Austin Powers quote,
"That's a man, baby!"
The episode was immediately pulled, but it shows that occasionally,
even uncontroversial shows can get into trouble.
Following his success with "Cake Boss" and its several spin-offs, Valastro decided
to move into TV production. In 2014, Buddy Valastro decided to launch Cakehouse Media,
which has mainly produced culinary shows, including some of Valastro's most successful
series, such as "Cake Boss" and "Bake You Rich." It was also behind Food Network's
"Bakers vs. Fakers" and "Cook vs. Cons," along with other lucrative culinary shows.
But that's not all they have done. They branched out into other reality genres with
TLC's "Unpolished," and in June 2022 announced a partnership with A+E for a slew of new projects
that includes multiple series, holiday specials, and the best part – a Lifetime holiday movie!
In an exclusive interview with Mashed, Valastro revealed,
"That's a secret wish that I've always had. I always told my wife,
'I want to be in a Lifetime movie.' It's happening."
Based on everything he has done so far, there is no doubt that he and the entire Valastro
family will rise to the occasion and provide some excellent TV entertainment in the future.