Welcome to Sarah's Dessert Bar in San Diego, CA! Owned by Pastry Chef Sarah

Hi! My name is Sarah Martinez, Owner, Founder and Pastry Chef of Sarah’s Dessert Bar. I started this business officially in January 2022 after unofficially starting it from my home making desserts and birthday cakes for friends and family. It quickly grew to the point I could no longer work my other job at the hotel I was working at, and had to choose between the two. I chose to take the leap of faith and embark on my own entrepreneurial journey to see how far it could go. The struggle is real in the beginning starting a new business is no joke and definitely stressful at times. Many times, I have doubted myself and wondered if I had really made the right decision or not, but every day I am thankful that I did. 

I am so grateful for all the support of so many friends and family along the way that I know I couldn’t have done it without them.  

My love for desserts and sweets goes back a long way. I grew up cooking in the kitchen with my grandma, which inspired me to go to culinary school to learn more about it. Growing up on a farm in NV, I learned many skills including how to work hard and show up no matter what, and also developed a love for good food. I come from a long line of good cooks and bakers with an Italian grandma who loves to cook and has had several businesses over the years.  

Coming from humble beginnings growing up on a farm, I didn’t think I would be able to afford to go to culinary school. But, was happy to find the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute in Coos Bay Oregon where they were able to offer me a scholarship to pay for part of the culinary school tuition to play for the soccer team of the community college that was located on the same property. I got to cook in the kitchen all day and then go play soccer. Literally the best year of school ever!  

After school, and randomly choosing a city on the map, I packed up and moved to San Diego with my sister even though I had never even been there before. I was ready for some sunshine and am so happy where I ended up. I believe I could not have chosen a better place.  

Since I was straight out of college and an out of towner it was difficult to find a job in the industry at first. Everyone was looking for 5 years minimum of pastry experience, which I could never get if no one hired me. I finally found a job at a local well-known bakery working at the front counter. Then eventually a position in their pastry department opened up and I was finally able to get the 5 years’ experience that everyone was looking for. I worked for a very talented pastry chef there that taught me a lot.  

I went on to work at a couple hotels and a catering company where I had an amazing mentor and learned a lot about baking and pastry.  During this time, I was able to take a trip to Europe with a bunch of other Pastry chefs from San Diego to go to what I believe is one of the biggest food shows in the world. We were also able to watch some of the pastry competitions where all the country’s pastry teams competed with their sugar and chocolate sculptures and plated desserts. Afterwards we visited as many famous and hole in the wall pastry shops in Paris as we could in 4 days. Eating endless amounts of pastries, desserts, and really good food. 

This trip played a huge part in inspiring me to really pursue my dream of owning my own dessert business.  

Making delicious desserts that puts a smile on someone's face has become my passion. I love seeing people’s reactions when they try my macarons for the first time, it never gets old seeing the pure joy on their faces and sometimes surprise. I love hearing the feedback on how everyone enjoyed all of my creations from their dessert bar, or birthday cake or any desserts they ordered.  

As I build my business, I strive for excellence in every aspect from using the best ingredients to every client interaction. And as my business continues to grow, I look forward to continuing and multiplying my giving back to the community wherever I can. 

So hopefully I will see you soon in more places around our beautiful city of San Diego! Farmers Markets, Events, Festivals, and random pop ups. Also remember me when planning your next party where you need a dessert bar I am here to satisfy your sweet tooth.  Check out my blog for more awesome stories, and recipes!