Long before Bianco Latte existed in New York, there was a small bread shop in Treviso, just outside Venice in northern Italy.
Camilla Zanin’s grandfather opened it more than seventy years ago, and it eventually became the foundation for everything that followed.
Her father, Maestro Andrea Zanin, later became one of Italy’s most recognized pastry chefs, eventually earning the title of Best Italian Pastry Chef in Italy in 2005. His career expanded into pastry labs in Venice, worldwide competitions and teaching at the master's level.
Camilla grew up inside that world.
“Each day after I finished school, I would go to my dad's labs and say, ‘Ciao papà, what are you doing today?’” Camilla told Appetito. He would let her taste everything. At the time, it was just a normal part of Camilla’s life. “For me, he was just a cool dad who used to make amazing cakes for all my parties,” she said.
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What she didn't see then was the discipline it took to accomplish all he was doing. Behind the travel, the competitions, and the hours spent refining recipes that would eventually define his name was a man who worked with integrity and purpose. “My dad was traveling all around the world and bringing his recipes with him,” she said.
Andrea never asked Camilla to follow him into the business. In fact, he discouraged her for years. He knew what the work required. So instead, Camilla studied architecture, earned her master’s degree, and built a career in brand development.
Still, the idea to somehow get involved never fully left her.
“I was mesmerized by the business,” she said. She was twenty-eight when she told her father she was ready to build something together.
By then, Andrea had been in the grind for most of his adult life. Fifteen years earlier, he had moved to the United States after being invited to help at a bakery in New York. What was meant to be temporary quickly became permanent. He stayed, starting over in a city that moved faster than he was used to and demanded things that were very different from his life in Italy.
Camilla remained in Italy, finishing her studies and developing her own path. But eventually, she decided to join her father and become his business partner.
Their first Bianco Latte location opened in Williamsburg in 2020, followed by a second in Hudson Yards. Those locations introduced their work to New York, but the structure of the business shifted two years ago, when Camilla and her husband, Nicola, moved to the city permanently.
The focus turned to production, and in 2024 their operations were anchored by a dedicated production headquarters in Long Island City, Queens. In addition, their newly opened second pastry lab in Syosset, a traditional style pasticceria, is designed for customers to sit, stay, and experience it as if they are in Italy.
Together, the two locations reflect both sides of the business: production and presentation.
Today, the company is run by Andrea, Camilla, her husband Nicola Lanza, her mother Roberta, and brother Alessandro. The team has grown to around thirty employees.
“This is a business made from people for people,” she said.“We treat them all like family.".
That philosophy exists alongside the reality of running a small business in New York. With rising costs, ingredients have become more expensive than planned. But Andrea has never adjusted his standards to meet them.
He still works the same way he did in Italy, with the same expectations, the same discipline, and the same unwillingness to take shortcuts.
Camilla sees it clearly now, in a way she could not when she was younger. “My dad always taught me that if you do good and treat everyone with respect, the universe will remember it.”
And the universe has definitely responded. Bianco Latte is proud to serve Madison Square Garden VIP Lounges and many other luxury customers, landmark event venues and historic locations throughout the city.
Today, Andrea’s accolades run deep. From his acknowledgement as a spokesperson by the Italian Ministry during the UNESCO gala last year, his distinction as the sole APEI ambassador in the U.S., to being a Member of Relais Desserts International and captain of the Italian team at the World International Pasty Championship in Tokyo, Andrea’s career spans decades and continents. But his life in New York with Camilla and his family is exactly where he wants to be.
“I don’t know who got the dream started first,” Camilla said. “Me or my dad.”
What is clear is that it did not start in New York. And it will not end there.
To learn more, visit Bianco Latte's website.
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