Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Martinez
Hi Monique , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My husband, Manny, and I have been business partners for many years, sharing a lifelong journey of creativity and collaboration. We spent much of our lives in Los Angeles, California, working in the entertainment industry, where we did everything from photography and videography to fashion design, hair, and makeup. Looking back, it’s almost unbelievable how much we’ve accomplished together, and I couldn’t be prouder.
Manny has always had a passion for baking and cooking, and his journey as a professional baker began in Orange County, California. When we moved to Texas, he played a key role in the Houston and San Antonio baking scenes—helping Buddy Valastro, “The Cake Boss,” open his San Antonio location and later managing the bakery department at H-E-B.
Our shared love of Halloween and horror led me to dream up The Grim Bakers, a way for us to combine our talents once again. We started by doing horror market pop-up events at Wonderland of the Americas, where I designed the logo, managed social media, developed all of the custom creations and concepts, while Manny brought his experience, precision, and artistry to life—crafting custom treats and hand-painted Belgian chocolate creations that captured the eerie and enchanting essence of our brand.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road whatsoever, while we were doing these markets we were both working other jobs. Because we have two small children that I stayed with full time we basically took turns working. I did a lot of instacart and favor deliveries just to keep food on the table and afford ingredients for the next pop up market. There were times I had to get food assistance from churches or borrow money from my mom just to get by another day. We refused to give up.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Manny and I specialize in horror and spooky baked goods and treats the entire year! We use our favorite horror movies as inspiration for new desserts to bring smiles to everyone that stop in to see us. We are known for our intricate detailed chocolate edible sculpture cakes that are hand painted and fully edible. Often times people thought they were decorations or candles because they had never seen anything that detailed or special in person at these markets.
We are most proud of Manny appearing on season 10 of the halloween baking championship on the food network and winning the show! the prize money was used to stop our eviction process and get our brick and mortar at wonderland of the americas as open. It’s been one heck of a ride!!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I was working as an instacart driver at this time, while it was weird to see businesses on lockdown and the fear in everyone’s eyes it also brought people together. I got a lot of appreciation and support delivering food and essentials at that time and they tipped me well so I could take care of my family. I will never forget the sense of community during that hardship
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grimbakers.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thegrimbakers
