Four Years Ago, an Italian Baker Moved to Maine. Bath Hasn't Been the Same Since.

Jul 28

In 2022, Simone Laboa traded the Mediterranean coast of Italy for the rocky coast of Maine.

The plan was simple: help his family—father Paolo, stepmother Mercedes, and business partner Jesse Bania— open a wholesale bakery in downtown Bath.

It didn't stay that way for long.

As customers started knocking on the windows asking if they could buy bread and pastries, Solo Pane evolved into something much bigger. Today, the bakery has become one of downtown Bath's busiest gathering places, drawing locals and visitors alike for handmade breads, pastries, fresh pasta and a taste of Italy that feels remarkably authentic.

Mercedes Laboa remembers that the original plan never included a retail bakery. But after opening for wholesale production, customers kept stopping by, hoping to buy bread and pastries. The response was impossible to ignore.

For Simone, baking has never been just a profession. He grew up in his family's restaurants in Genoa and attended a five-year culinary high school in Italy before moving to Maine. Much of what fills the pastry cases each morning is rooted in those experiences, along with recipes and techniques passed down through generations. About 80 percent of Solo Pane's ingredients are still sourced directly from Italy.

"I love what I do," Laboa told us. "I'm always trying something new."

That balance between tradition and curiosity shows up throughout the bakery. The cornetti—often mistaken for croissants—are richer, made with eggs and more butter than their French counterpart. The focaccia follows the style of Genoa, where Laboa grew up, resulting in a thinner, lighter loaf than many Americans expect.

"If you've tried these things somewhere else... try them again here," he said.

Even something as familiar as focaccia carries a deeper story.

"Focaccia was born where I'm from."

Today, Solo Pane serves everything from fresh pasta and sandwiches to desserts, gelato and Italian coffee, and recently expanded to offer Friday and Saturday evening aperitivo service with seasonal dishes, wine and house-made desserts. But despite the bakery's growth, the philosophy remains the same: honor the traditions that came before while continuing to learn, experiment and create.

Four years after arriving in Maine, Simone, Mercedes and the team at Solo Pane have done more than open a bakery. They've brought a small piece of Genoa to downtown Bath—one cornetto, one loaf of bread and one cup of espresso at a time.