The Small Business Spotlight: Adilene Camarena of Around The World Bakery
In this "Small Business Spotlight," presented by American Bank, Austin Meek of Waco Business News highlights Adilene Camarena of Around The World Bakery.
This marquee sign hangs over Jose’s work area at Waco Shoe Hospital.
Dry January is a common practice in which people abstain for a month from alcohol, drugs, or the other unhealthy substances they battered their bodies with in the year prior. 2020 was a time unlike any other so I've resolved to make 2021 the wettest, gooiest, sweetest year yet. At Union Hall on Franklin Avenue, Around The World Bakery makes it easy on sugar seekers.
"I have nanaimo bars, I have cannolis, I have brigaderos, tiramisu, macarons, baklava...
Adilene Camarera is a 25-year old graduate of the Culinary arts program at Texas State Technical College.
"I loved it...It was definitely good. It was a good experience at TSTC."
After finishing school, Adilene felt the urge to sample global cuisine. She visited England, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Costa Rica, eating her way through the countries while plotting a return to Waco.
"Coming back, I had that idea of wanting to open something. I had no idea what, I just always knew it had to be travel-related."
A customer at the counter interrupts our interview.
A minute later, Adilene returns to her travel stories.
"I knew this was something Waco needed. It's growing so I know there's a lot of new things going up and I was excited to bring something different, something unique, where people could try different desserts without having to travel far away."
Around the World offers flavors from across the globe, including diet-friendly options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and Keto folks seeking low carb-high fat power punches.
"They've been tested by myself for over a year and I have worked on them. and revised them, changed them up, and made them my own. So they're very unique, very different, very good.
"I did Keto most of 2019 so I use the right sugars, I use the right ingredients for them. And they're gluten free so for anyone who's gluten free, they're perfect for them too."
Another customer arrives at the counter, this one picking up a birthday cake topped with chocolate covered strawberries dusted with gold leaf.
The bakery is Adilene's international love letter to the community.
"I created it with the mind of building bridges. So having understanding of other cultures, other foods, other cultures, other styles, not just our own. Because when you go to a bakery, that's what you normally get here. You don't get past your regular cupcakes, cakes, cookies."
As her reputation grows, so do the numbers of foreigners flocking downtown for a taste of home. Nanaimo bars, a three-layer desert consisting of Graham crackers, vanilla custard icing, and chocolate, keep Canucks coming back for more.
"It's always a little nerve wracking knowing they know what it actually tastes like. So it's very exciting when they approve and they come up to me and and they say this is so good, this is exactly what you get in Canada."
Due to the pandemic, Adilene's plans for the store were delayed multiple times, but it's an experience for which she's now exceedingly grateful.
"I was doing a lot of popups at White Elephant, at the Eastside Market. I also participated in Waco Restaurant Week. I participated in so many popups so I got to meet so many awesome people who helped me in this journey which I feel like I couldn't have done if I had opened right away. I'm kinda glad for that journey because I got to meet all those amazing people."
This "Small Business Spotlight,” co-produced by Waco Business News and KWBU, first aired on Friday, December 4, 2020, in Episode 94 of Downtown Depot on 103.3 KWBU-FM Waco.