Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Alvaro.
Hi Kari, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started the Sweet Girlz Brand back in 2011 just shy of a year after I lost my fulltime job in a budget cut on my 30th birthday. I had to reinvent myself at 30 which was scary but I ended up making it sweet. I launched Sweet Girlz Bakery in Easton Pennsylvania in December 2011, a historic town know for architectural charm, delicious food scene and fierce love of community. During the pandemic the business expanded from an 800 square foot space to over 1600 square feet. In 2022 my wife and I decided it was time to start enjoying life a little more so we moved to South Carolina with the goal to semi retire after she sold her landscaping company which she owned and operated for 25 years.. We took on a managing partner for our Pa bakery and moved south where we exchanged shoveling snow to searching for seashells. After a few months my wife Vicki, was eager to start a new journey and we opened Sweet Girlz Creamery. We scooped hard ice cream for tourists and locals alike for 2 summers down on Shore Drive in Myrtle Beach. Vicki had always had a gift of cooking and wanted to open her own breakfast and lunch spot someday. We made her dream a reality in the summer of 2023 when we signed our leave at our current location and started our extensive build out to turn office space into a fully operational cafe and bakery. Sweet Girlz Bakery & Cafe opened officially on November 14th 2023 as a full service breakfast and lunch cafe along aside our award winning bakery. Our family coined the phrases that I am the baker and Vicki is the egg maker. We love what we do and really enjoy being a part of North Myrtle Beach. The community has been amazing. We sold our ice cream shop in December 2023 to focus full time on our cafe/bakery. Since opening our doors we have harvested a strong sense of community in store that has far reached the zip codes limits of the Grand Strand area. Our “Pay It Forward” board (buy a meal for someone who needs an extra hand one day to eat)has been replenished over 6 times already with meals from our generous customers near and far. We have won Best New Bakery, Best Breakfast and nominated for Best New Business as well as being told by our customers that they think we are the best which is really what matters most to our hearts. From baking cakes, mowing lawns, scooping ice cream to now growing our brand with our super sweet bakery/cafe, Vicki and I have a passion for growing community, leading by example and making our community a little more sweet.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every new business faces struggles, right? The hardest part of building out our bakery/cafe was understanding the regulations for South Carolina and North Myrtle Beach. Did we have the right contractors, plumbers, electricians, where were we getting our equipment from and ultimately like every new business, how are we going to pay for it all. After a few delays with permits, equipment and department of health, we were able to open successfully after almost 5 months. Once we opened those struggles seems like they were in the distant past.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Sweet Girlz Bakery & Cafe is a full service breakfast and lunch spot complete with our award winning bakery. We offer a full menu of food items from omelets, pancakes and breakfast sandwiches to real Philly Cheesesteaks, club sandwiches and Rueben’s . Our bakery case is full daily with everything from cinnamon rolls, brownies, mini pies to cupcakes, cakes and other daily delights such as buckeye brownies, muffins and gluten free/vegan items. We are know for our Mary’s $5 Breakfast which is named after Vicki’s grandmother who loved a good breakfast deal. Mary’s $5 Breakfast is served Wednesday through Sunday 8-9am and you get 2 eggs, your choice of meat, potatoes and toast. On the bakery side we are known for our unique custom orders such as cakes, cupcakes custom printed cookies as well as corporate events and weddings. We do also offer classes where you can come inhouse and learn how to decorate cupcakes, cookies and cakes. Our cafe space is also a great space to host a bachelorette party, birthday party or small event.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I like to always stay positive in every endeavor, a mindset I learned in early 2012 when I was running my first business. I always see the glass half full. I believe that if I think positive I will get positive back, whereas if I am being negative I will get nothing but negative back. So I believe that our drive and hustle has gotten us to where we are. We are constantly learning and growing, so when we need to pivot to move with the masses its much easier because our mindset is already facing forward with positivity, I’m sure other say we are lucky, but I say we worked hard, suffered hard, and didn’t stop till we built what we wanted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sweetgirlzmyrtle.com
- Instagram: sweetgirlzmyrtle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C3AxhVgpV/
