Sweets by Ki, a new bakery, is set to open by the end of September, replacing Sneaker Game at 227 Fifth Avenue.
Owner Kiara Martinez said she has loved baking since she was eight years old and making confections with her mom. “Before high school, I had already decided I wanted to go to culinary school,” she said. “In high school, I started selling cupcakes, and everyone loved them. From there, I decided I wanted to take baking seriously while I was applying to colleges.”
Martinez, 24, has an associate’s degree in culinary and pastry arts, as well as a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management and now lives in Yonkers.
She has operated a home-based bakery for the past four years, using a digital storefront and social media to gain traction. On the website, a customer can select a variety of cake offerings, flavors, icings and cookie flavors. She also began working at a bakery in the Bronx in July.
“I had been searching for a spot to open a bakery for a while,” Martinez said. “I always wanted to be in a neighborhood that was calm and friendly. Around my 24th birthday, I ended up finding a spot here in Pelham.”
Martinez said her favorites of the desserts she makes are tres leches cake, flan and chocolate cake.
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