Bennie’s Bread has been an Ocean City staple since 1957. The original Benny came over from Italy in 1952 to be a baker in New York City. He moved to Ocean City in 1957 and opened Bennie’s Bread. When it was time for him to retire, his son Lou took over the bakery and made it a strictly wholesale establishment. He reopened a small retail location at the corner of 12th and Asbury years later.

In 2001, the DiClemente family purchased Bennie’s and made it their own. Within the first year of owning the longtime Ocean City bakery, they expanded to store front to almost three times its original size and expanded both the bread and pastry product lines. After 13 successful years, Hurricane Sandy came through Ocean City and flooded Bennie’s storefront, along with the store front next door. The now vacant corner store needed a full renovation and through that renovation, Bennie’s Bread and Italian Market was forged.