D’Annunzio’s Italian Bakery, also known as the Health Bread Company has been filling the streets of North View with the smell of fresh-baked bread and old-world tradition for nearly a century.

Located at 1909 Williams Avenue, D’Annunzio’s has remained in the same family for nearly five generations. Its signature handmade pizza shells, hoagie buns, soft- and hard-crusted breads, and iconic pepperoni rolls have become staples across the state and beyond.

Whether customers are stocking up for Sunday dinner or grabbing a warm roll to go, the bakery delivers more than just food—it serves up a slice of West Virginia heritage.

More than a business, D’Annunzio’s has become a cornerstone of Italian-American culture in the region, built on a foundation of family, consistency and community. At the heart of the bakery’s legacy is James D’Annunzio, the current manager and part of the next generation preparing to carry the business forward.

“We’ve kept it in the family forever. You know, my dad’s done it. His dad’s dad. And it goes back on up and, you know, they all—they’re from here, like, back, when they opened in 1926, it was, you know, the grandmas and the aunts and the cousins, and they were making the bread. And, you know, they all lived here in North View—like, right here in this house. You know, family members that lived here and up the street, and the house beside the bakery, and it’s just kind of cool how it all started,” he said.

James said the bakery’s beginnings were born out of a simple, humble need.

“They were just here, and the product needed to be made. And they were making them in the neighborhood, and one thing led to another, and it kind of blossomed into this beautiful business a hundred years down the line,” he said.

“But, you know, there were a lot of coal miners around here and people that worked in all the glass factories and stuff…You know, there was massive amounts of foot traffic and people in and out the door back in the day. And then there were a lot of little restaurants and stuff, and they all needed bread. And, you know, so over time it just kind of grew into what it is today.”

That steady growth, James said, can be credited to tradition and a refusal to compromise on quality.

“A big thing is tradition and keeping the same product. We’ve tried to stay consistent. You know, people have loved our product for years and generations, and why change it? You know, it’s a simple Italian bread. You know, we make the hoagie buns, pepperoni rolls, pizza shells, and then the hard crust and soft-crusted breads. And it’s something people can sit down on Sunday and break bread and have pasta with, you know, after church or whatever they do,” he said.

“It’s just a special product that brings people together, and it’s a simple thing. And the pepperoni roll—it’s a West Virginia staple, and then we don’t put any cheese in them or anything, you know, it’s just a plain jane, basically. But, you know, it’s something. I got regulars that come in the bakery probably three to five days a week and they get the same thing every time. They’re consistent. They know what they like, and they’ve liked it for 50 years. But I don’t know, we want it to be a welcoming thing. It’s something that represents our town and our area and our state.”

That sense of identity and pride has helped D’Annunzio’s expand far beyond North View. Over the years, James said the bakery has built a loyal following across the country.

“When we get people coming through the door—I’ve seen people from Hawaii, Alaska. They’ve taken it to California, Colorado, Florida—I mean, pretty much everywhere across the continental United States and beyond. I mean, people take bread. And it’s pretty cool to see the product go that far,” he said.

“And a lot of it’s because, you know, their parents or grandparents lived here. They spent summers here as a kid. What do they do now anytime they’re coming through the area? They stock up and take it home and freeze it. I mean, it’s a cool thing.”

Now, as the bakery approaches its 100th year in business, James and his cousin, Ben D’Annunzio, are preparing to lead the family tradition into the next era.

“I’ve been around this since I was a little kid, you know, after school. I had to come over here with Dad and I’d see things and understand. Since I was little I kind of always knew I was going to end up doing this. And it’s something to be proud of. And, we love to do it and we love to bring in great products to the community. It started as a summer job right around when I was like 16, 17 years old or so. You know, once I was done for summer with high school and didn’t have sports going on, I’d come to the bakery, try to start working a little bit and try to learn the ropes,” he said.

“Then after that, I went to college, I’d work summers, and through COVID was when really we kind of picked more up. You know, me and my cousin Ben really kind of stepped into it a little more. He had already finished college and was working full time. And then once I graduated in May of ’22, just kind of been full time ever since, and just slowly trying to, you know, take on a little more workload wherever I can, you know, and try to understand and grow the business and, you know, hopefully get my dad, you know, one step in the right direction towards retirement.”

Despite the legacy they’re inheriting, James said the transition hasn’t felt overwhelming.

“I wouldn’t call it overwhelming. It is exciting. It’s something, you know, that we’ve looked forward to now, you know, for several years now. This is something—when we came back and started working full-time—you kind of committed to that. And slowly—you know, it’s not like been an overnight thing. You know, my dad’s still my boss, you know. But slowly, every year, it’s amazing the things you learn every day. You just—you kind of got to have an open mind and just be open to learning something new or—you never know who’s going to teach you something. But it’s a cool thing. It’s exciting,” he said.

“We’ve worked with so many of these guys for years, and some of these guys that work for us, I’ve known since I was a little kid and stuff. So we try to stay consistent, we just keep doing our thing. And, you know, we try to be pretty good at it. If there’s ever an issue, we have some great people in the community that’ll let us know, and we always try to keep everything squared away. So I think we’re excited for the transition… Hopefully we can keep it going another 100 years.”

Ben D’Annunzio, James’ cousin and the bakery’s production manager, echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the special bond between the business and the community it serves.

“It really creates a family atmosphere. We’ve seen so many people come through the doors over the years, and you get to know them on a personal level—they’re not just customers anymore. I know who their parents were, who their kids and grandkids are. You watch people grow and change, and they’ll come in and share updates about their lives,” he said.

“It’s a privilege to build that kind of connection. It’s not just about someone coming in to buy bread—it’s about sharing memories, learning their stories, and being a part of their lives in some small way.”
For Ben, the most rewarding part of the job is preserving the legacy their ancestors started almost a century ago.

“For me it’s just keeping the rich history alive—that’s the biggest thing. My great-grandfather was in it, my grandpa was in it, my dad’s in it. It’s about keeping that legacy going. I was a business management and entrepreneurship major in college, and one thing you learn pretty quickly is that a lot of small businesses don’t make it—let alone last nearly 100 years like we’re about to,” he said.

“Hitting 100 years as a small business, that’s almost mythical…To be able to keep that legacy going—it’s humbling. It really gives you perspective on how much hard work it takes and why you can’t take any of it for granted. It takes a village to keep this place running, and I’m grateful to be a part of that.”

D’Annunzio’s Italian Bakery is open Sunday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and is closed on Tuesday and Saturday.