SAN ANTONIO — Spooky. Scary. And delicious.
Award-winning baker Manny Martinez and his wife Monique have opened a horror-themed bakery in the Wonderland of the Americas mall.
The co-owners admittedly love all things creepy, weird and unique, which translates into their business: The Grim Bakers. They offer everything from cookies, doughnuts, cakes and brownies—all with a "spookified" twist.
“We are a horror bakery all year-round. We do this from January to December, anything that can be spookified and made creepy and fun, we do it. There’s literally no holiday that can’t be zombified or just bloodied up," Manny said.
The San Antonio baker has been in the business for over 20 years, recently winning Season 10 of the Halloween Baking Championship on the Food Network. Manny was one of four finalists competing for the big prize and ultimately whipped up the victory, taking home $25,000 dollars.
“It's just been literally like a whirlwind of excitement, stress, fun and literally every emotion you could possibly think of kind of wrapped into one, but it definitely has had a huge impact in a very positive way," he said.
The winnings helped Manny and Monique open the brick-and-mortar location on the northwest side, a dream that's been top of mind for the last 15 years.
Manny admitted he was hesitant due to a fear of failing and not having the finances to make The Grim Bakers successful.
“It just seemed something that was going to be out of reach. I kind of put it on the back burner. But it was really a big dream come true," he said.
The Grim Bakers first debuted two years ago at pop-ups all around San Antonio and surrounding areas, with Manny and Monique tackling the business at different ends.
Manny also credits Monique for their unique conceptual designs, characters and creations. Many of their themes are pulled from pop culture or memorable characters from their childhoods.
“She definitely is the mastermind behind all of the creative aspects of it. We like to joke around that I’m the muscle and she’s the brains," he said.
Manny said that while he is very technical and analytical, it sometimes hinders his creative spirit. His wife is always there to help bring that originality back to the forefront.
The Grim Bakers is also known for offering guests balanced desserts that are not overly sweet.
“We play on the sugar very well so that it’s enjoyable and it’s not just something that you’re going to look at and think is really cool. We try to incorporate the whole aspect of taste, quality and having something fun as best we can," Manny said.
The passion for baking and coming up with delicious recipes was instilled in Manny at a young age thanks to his grandmother.
“We baked a lot at home and she kind of taught me the ins and outs of baking and it just became something we did all the time," he said.
That devotion to creating interesting pastries was also fueled by Manny's love for science.
“Taking these ingredients and mixing them together and determining if something is going to come out really good or really awful was exciting, so that was kind of the fun behind it too," Manny said.
If residents or visitors find themselves on the northwest side looking for a treat, Manny and Monique invite them to try The Grim Bakers.
The core menu is full of fan favorite items like their Black Magic Brownies, which Manny said "put them on the map," and their specialty items are rotated out every week.
The owners also recommend their eyeball-shaped Linzer cookies and their themed cake slices that pay homage to horror characters like Chucky.
The Grim Bakers are currently working on implementing six new characters into their treats.
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