Careli Bello grew up watching her grandmother make delicious pastries in Venezuela. Bello began learning the craft of baking at a young age, working alongside her grandmother.
But she decided to follow a different career path, working as an architect creating structures out of concrete and metal, not cake and fondant.
Until she moved to Florida five years ago.
Now, Bello has made the leap into the world of desserts with Wonder Sweets Bakery, which she opened Nov. 5 on the second level of the Mall at Wellington Green across from the CMX Cinemas movie theater.
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“While I’ve always loved baking, the entrepreneurial spirit hit me when I arrived in the U.S. five years ago,” Bello said. “I saw an opportunity to truly elevate the art of baking and decided to turn my passion into my profession.”
Bello first began her baking business from her home after moving, where she became known for gorgeously detailed cakes. But she quickly outgrew her home kitchen and saw the need to move into a larger space.
“Since I lived in Wellington, the Mall at Wellington Green was the perfect location for me and Wonder Sweets,” Bello said.
Working alongside her to make her dream come true is her husband, Kevin, who helped build out her space in the mall. (He also built the selfie booths at So Selfless Selfie Studio, which opened recently in the mall on the first level outside Dillard’s.)
In opening a larger space, Bello said there have been a few challenges. As a recent immigrant, she is still working on her English, which she said was challenging at first. “Also, I started the business with virtually no budget, so I’m grateful my sales were so strong, which enabled me to save money to launch my business,” she said.
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After building her business making custom cakes, the new Wonder Sweets Bakery at the Mall at Wellington Green expands her offerings to add a larger variety of treats. “It makes it so much fun for me to experiment with all different kinds of desserts and goodies,” Bello said.
When it comes to baking, Bello said she’s hard-pressed to find a favorite dessert. “I truly love baking everything – from cookies, to cupcakes, to pies, mousses and cinnamon rolls,” she said. “I like to try something new each week to offer to our customers.”
She loves a good challenge, including a recent Sweet 16 birthday cake request for a towering nine-tier creation. Her best-selling item so far has been the volcano cake, made with Venezuelan chocolate. Bello’s tres leches cake and red velvet cupcakes also sell out quickly, she said.
“I’m so grateful that our customers are loving it as much as I am!” Bello said.
For more information about Wonder Sweets Bakery, go to www.wondersweetsbakery.com, call 941-421-2958 or email info@wondersweetsbakery.com.
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