Entrepreneurial baker fulfills dream with help of Hazelnut Kitchen

A new bakery has opened up in Trumansburg, a concept created by a young proprietor.

Elizabeth Dendis, 18, of Interlaken, is quite busy. She recently opened the doors to Sweet Sprinkles Bakery in the storefront of Hazelnut Kitchen on Main St. on July 26 and works as a sous chef at the eatery in the evenings.

Despite a hectic summer schedule, Dendis is fulfilling her baking dreams one cupcake at a time.

She approached her boss, Hazelnut Kitchen owner Matt Hummel, about leaving the restaurant to launch her own bakery when Hummel extended a creative opportunity. Hummel offered the young entrepreneur Hazelnut Kitchen’s space in the morning for her bakery when not in use for the restaurant. 

It was an opportunity that Dendis was excited to take.

“I have baked ever since I was a kid,” she said. “I followed my mom around in the kitchen all the time.”

By the time she was around 13, Dendis started to create her own recipes.

“I really like coming up with new stuff,” she said. “Things that are complex, like special desserts that have multiple layers or trying out other desserts. I’d say those are fun.”

Hummel was happy to keep Dendis on staff and enable her to forge her own path in the industry, calling her his “right hand” at Hazelnut Kitchen.

“She is just incredibly talented,” he said. “I think she has a certain eye for all things colorful and has a great intuition. She is fun to collaborate with and she has a talent that you can’t teach — a talent I rarely see in people that have been doing this as long as she has.”

Out of all the baked goods that Dendis makes, it’s her cupcakes that she considers her specialty. 

“Those are probably one of my favorites, as well,” she said of the iced baked treats.

Sweet Sprinkles Bakery is currently open Tuesday through Friday and hopes to open on Saturdays at some point.

As for the grand opening, Sweet Sprinkles sold out of its sweet orange rolls, cinnamon rolls and muffins, with Dendis quickly discovering what items are resonating with her patrons.

“We had carrot cake muffins and banana chocolate chip muffins and we sold out each day. So we’ve been making more every day,” she said of the demand.

While Sweet Sprinkles doesn’t offer vegan options, the bakery is considering adding in gluten-free goods. 

“We’re just trying to figure out the best way to go about it,” said Dendis.

As Sweet Sprinkles looks to the future, Dendis said she wishes to keep a solid customer base and continue to serve the area with her treats.

“We’re going to have a changing menu every week,” said Dendis of her flexible approach. “We’re doing new things. I just want to get lots of different items, get customer feedback and maybe put some regular things on the menu that people really love. I’m just kind of seeing how it goes.”

The bakery currently takes custom orders for menu items, such as cupcakes and cookies, but isn’t taking custom cake orders yet.

Overall, Dendis is touched by the warm welcome and response of the community to Sweet Sprinkles Bakery.

“So many people came,” she said of the guests she’s had opening week. “Everybody has been resharing our posts on social media and spreading the word. So many people were just walking by and they saw [the bakery] and they’re telling their friends. Everyone has been so supportive and very patient while we work out some of the errors in the system. So it has been spectacular.”

Sweet Sprinkles Bakery is currently open 7 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Friday and can be found on social media at facebook.com/MySweetSprinklesBakery and instagram.com/mysweetsprinklesbakery.

Trumansburg Connection appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Please send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or courtney.rehfeldt@gmail.com. 

In brief: 

Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’

Encore Players Community Theatre announces upcoming performance of Monty Python’s “Spamalot.” 

Performances will be held Aug. 3-6. Thursday-Saturday performances will be at 7 p.m., and Sunday matinees will begin at 3 p.m.

Performances will be held at Arena Theatre at 9706 Congress St. Extension.

All ticket sales are presale and online. There will be no purchases at the door. 

To purchase tickets, visit encoreplayers.org.

The 172nd Annual Trumansburg Fair

The annual Trumansburg Fair will be held Aug. 22 to 27. A soft opening is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 22, when no rides will be available.

The official opening of the fair will be at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 23. 

Free parking will be available on the grounds. 

Admission is $6 per person, and children 12 years and under are free. 

Presale discount wristband tickets are available at colemanbrothersshows.com.

For the complete schedule and fair book, visit trumansburgfair.weebly.com.