Why is Nicole Liberatore obsessed with cannoli? “Cannoli is that perfect combination of a crispy, crunchy shell and a smooth, creamy filling,” she says. “It’s really just the perfect bite.” And for the baker, who owns Bisnonna Bakeshop with her New Jersey-native husband, Dominick, that fixation has turned into a thriving business.

Since late 2019, they’ve run Bisnonna (which means “great-grandmother” in Italian, a dedication to Nicole Liberatore’s own late bisnonna, Phyllis) out of their Annandale home, meeting customers in parking lots for deliveries. That setup is about to change. They’ll open their first storefront, inside Tysons Corner Center, in early September, says Nicole.