Inspiring Conversations with Denise Moreno of More Sweets

Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Moreno.

Hi Denise, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have been baking since I was a little girl. It was always something I wanted to do but just wasn’t sure how exactly to move forward with it. In 2009, I finally decided to try my hand at Culinary School. While I studied and graduated with my degree in Culinary Arts, I immediately gravitated towards the pastry side of the kitchen as soon as I started working in a Professional kitchen. I kept with Pastry and Baking and moved from a restaurant atmosphere to a bakery. I loved working in a bakery and tried to learn everything I could knowing one day I would hopefully open my own bakery. After almost eight years of working at a professional bakery, I decided to started to my own home bakery. I dedicated all my time, energy, resources and knowledge into growing my own brand and creating my own space. We started small with a couple of farmer markets and quickly expanded with more customers and even created partnerships with venues for wedding cakes. We quickly outgrew our home kitchen and made the jump to a commercial kitchen. Our first storefront location had major setbacks, as the pandemic halted and stalled a lot of our plans. After almost a year and half of setbacks, we finally we able to open to the public. We have now been open for almost 2 years. We have meet so many amazing people and made numerous loyal customers and many more friends.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While it has not been the smoothest road for us, I know everything happens for a reason. The pandemic stalled us from opening for about a year and half. It was much more difficult to get permit approvals, plans submitted, and work done on and for our location. A lot of farmer markets were closed, as well as weddings and large events were not happening. We had a major decline in sales and had to get really creative in how to sell and get products to our customers. We tried to do pop-up shops and even deliveries. While these setbacks were unfortunate, we did our best to utilize the time to recipe test and get everything ready so once we got the last approval, we were ready to open the next day. And that’s just what we did!

We’ve been impressed with More Sweets, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a family-run bakery that specializes in handmade pastries, desserts, and cakes. We make everything in-house and use the highest quality, best ingredients. We are known for both our breakfast pastries, such as our scones and turnovers, and for our cakes. Our cakes are soft, delicious and not sweet. We have an amazing buttercream that truly allows our cake flavors to shine through. We are most proud of not only creating delicious, loved pastries and desserts that are enjoyed by everyone but also of creating amazing relationships with our customers. We truly have the best customers that come back every week and help spread the word about our shop.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We are a handmade bakery that makes everything in-house. We use the highest quality, best ingredients. We have our pastries cases filled with a selection of our pastries and desserts. For cakes, including standard decor and custom decor, require ample time for planning in our schedule, so as soon as you know your date, make sure to call to place your order. We book up quickly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.moresweetsla.com
• Instagram: @moresweetsla