Window shopper

Flour, frosting and plenty of creativity at Sugarboy Bakery

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The doyennes of Sugarboy Bakery in Kingsbridge take the idea of tender, love and care to a whole new level.

From the moment a customer enters the small shop at 3071 Bailey Ave., sisters Stephanie and Gladys Grijalva work to meet every specification.

“You have to be able to become like a friend to your customer, even if you don’t know them,” said Stephanie Grijalva.  “I’m supposed to find out everything that you like in order to portray it into the cake that you design.”

From there, the bakery begins a five- to eight-hour process of making the cake, utilizing seven to eight workers. 

“Everybody has a different role,” Gladys Grijalva remarked. 

Once a cake is finished, Sugarboy delivers it straight to the party where it will be served. Depending on the size of the confection — cakes range from 6 to 20 inches wide — workers sometimes assemble the dessert on-site.

The Grijalva family set up shop on Bailey Avenue about seven years ago, with the parents tending the business side of things while the daughters do the baking. 

“We try to make all of our customers feel like they are coming into their home,” Stephanie Grijalva said. “We try to make them feel like we’re family.”

Baking has been in her own family since her mother and grandmother were living in their native Guatemala. 

“It all started with our grandmother. She used to do bread and cakes… for family members, and from there my mom was always in the kitchen with her,” Gladys Grijalva said. “So she opened up Sugarboy.” 

Stephanie Grijalva noted that business has grown mostly thanks to word of mouth.

“Let’s say we sold one cake to one sweet 16, I wouldn’t be surprised if in that week I bring six clients from that party,” Stephanie Grijalva said. “We did everything from word of mouth.” 

The Grijalva sisters have worked at Sugarboy Bakery since its inception. A year ago, Stephanie Grijalva quit a second job as a makeup artist to work full-time at the family business. She noted a key similarity between makeup work and baking cakes.

“The makeup helps me color coordinate for cakes,” she said. 

Now, the bakery demands the sisters’ full attention during 12-hour workdays. 

“This is something that you really have to dedicate your energy and your time to because there’s no breaks,” Stephanie Grijalva said. “We’re trying to achieve a goal here. We’re trying to send out a message. We’re trying to cater to everyone.” 

Love of cake craft keeps her and her sister going.

“If you’re already in this business, especially in this bakery, and you’ve seen how beautiful we’ve grown, then you don’t want to stop, you want to keep going,” Stephanie Grijalva said.

Sugarboy Bakery, Gladys Grijalva, Stephanie Grijalva,

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