A beloved family-owned bakery in Clark has closed its doors for good after more than five decades.

Vaccaro's Bakery on Clarkton Drive, known for its cakes, pies and pastries, closed on Sunday. In a social media post, owners Eileen and Vinny said they will retire and said it is time for them to embark on a new chapter in their lives.

“It has been an incredible journey, filled with sweet memories and cherished moments shared with each and every one of you,” the owners posted on Facebook. “Your patronage and friendship have been the cornerstone of our success and the memories forged within these walls will forever remain in our hearts.”

The announcement received more than 500 comments of customers sharing their fondest memories of visiting the bakery.

“Vaccaro's will forever be a part of my childhood and forever a part of Clark. Every time I came home to NJ I would stop in and grab some cookies, brownies or whatever caught my eye. The smell is something I will NEVER forget. You didn't know this but I had local people stop in and buy things to send to me in Minnesota,” one person wrote in the comments.

Another commented and said, “Vaccaro’s Bakery has played a huge part in our family celebrations for many years, from my wedding cake 43 years ago to my daughter’s wedding cake 10 years ago and a million birthday cakes in between.”

Many more memories were shared, including one person who wrote, “I remember standing in line outside on Sunday mornings before church when the bakery was on Inman Avenue in Colonia. The crumb buns are my favorite! My dad loves the jelly donuts. Let's not forget the hard rolls or buttercream frosting on just about anything. The. Absolute. Best.”

A couple of people in the comments even suggested the owners publish a dessert cookbook to recreate their pastries.

“Vaccaro’s has been a part of every single family celebration/special occasion; you will be missed so much! Please do a recipe book; I’d love to be able to continue the tradition of brownies, checkerboard cake, & crumb buns,” one commenter posted.