This year at Montclair State, a new restaurant has entered the villa. Gasp! But what restaurant could possibly take the place of the beloved Dunkin that students knew and loved?
Zaro’s Family Bakery is a fourth-generation bakery that is family owned and originated in the Bronx. It serves a variety of pastries, coffees, lemonades, sandwiches, and delectable goodies for students to enjoy. The restaurant is also incredibly cozy, with a leather couch, comfortable seats, and decorations showing the evolution of Montclair State over the years.
With all of these amazing assets, there is only one thing to ask. Is it good?
In my personal opinion, yes. I did enjoy the Dunkin, but I love the pastries and variety of goods at Zaro’s a lot more. I enjoyed their brownie and oatmeal raisin cookie quite a lot. The brownie was rich with a strong fudgy flavor, and the oatmeal raisin cookie was sizable and incredibly tasty.
Their chocolate croissant was decent, but left something to be desired in my humble opinion. It felt a bit dry and I wished it had a bit more of a crunch.
I also really enjoyed their bacon egg and cheese and ham egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches on bagels. They were very hearty, tasty, and gave me the energy to get through my day.
I also enjoyed their New Yorker drink, which was a refreshing twist on an Arnold Palmer with a blood orange flavor, and their Strawberry rush energy lemonade. Both were very refreshing, sweet, and light enough that they did not sit in my stomach.
But enough of my thoughts. What do Montclair State students think about Zaro’s?
Madison Clemente, a freshman communications major, shared her thoughts about the school’s newest bakery. “Their blueberry muffins are my go-to breakfast item, especially when I’m running to my 8 a.m. I also like the strawberry rush drinks.”, she said. Clemente also shared that she enjoys having the restaurant within her own dorm building, making it more easily accessible.
Abigail Drueding, a junior Design Technology Management major, expressed her feelings toward the new chain on campus. “They have more pastry options and variety compared to Dunkin. Their coffee is fairly good, but it doesn’t have a lot of variety”, she said. “They also do not have the donuts, which were a rare commodity on campus.”
Overall, Zaro’s Bakery seems to be received favorably by students on campus, with similar line sizes during peak times that its predecessor, Dunkin, had on the Grubhub app. While it has its downsides, including its price compared to the Dunkin on campus, I believe that the benefits outweigh the downsides. I would absolutely recommend Zaros to any students looking for a sweet treat or hearty breakfast to start their day.