On these blustery January days, few things warm us as deeply as a rich cup of coffee or a mug of silky hot chocolate. On Penn Avenue in West Reading, Dolce de Zabala has everything needed to sweeten up your winter season — from their celebrated cupcakes and decadent truffles to steaming lattes and an assortment of teas, as well as 17 flavors that will (quite literally) spice up your hot cocoa fix.
This modern, eat-in café celebrated its second anniversary last fall. As a pastry chef, owner Johanna Zabala reflects on how opening the shop by her 30th birthday is a goal she is proud to have achieved. With the support of her husband Reggie, their new location was established and now offers a cozy spot to hang out, host a meeting, or simply grab a Café au Lait to go.
Upon graduating from the Pastry Arts Center at the Art Institute of New York, Johanna began her career in New York City with various positions in the fine dining field. Prior to moving to Berks County, she worked, most notably, for Morimoto (Yes, Iron Chef fans, the very one).
When visiting Berks, Johanna found she loved the slower pace and how it seemed “the hours lasted in the day.” She made the move to Pennsylvania with her family, hoping to spend more time with her husband and two children. After she began operating an in-home business creating handmade chocolate-covered strawberries (Dolce Berries), Johanna was happy to find that it flourished. Soon she was shipping the lavish berries nationwide by custom order.
When the opportunity came to purchase a shop on Penn Avenue, an area with a charm that reminded her of New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, Johanna and Reggie welcomed the prospect of becoming business owners. Their doors opened in November of 2015, the shelves filled with intricate and enticing cupcakes, seasonal pies, crème brûlée, fudgy lava cakes, truffles, Dolce Berries, and even a few “guilt-free” options.
With a desire to meet the demands of the community and have something for everyone to enjoy, Johanna has added vegan and gluten-free options, in addition to the array of sweet beverages and treats already in rotation. Of the vegan options, Johanna advises to “grab them while they're hot or they’ll be gone!”
In addition to the shop varieties, Dolce de Zabala offers clients the option of pre-ordering cakes, cupcakes, and “dessert tables” which provide an assortment of tasty indulgences for any occasion. The shop may also be rented out for private parties on Sundays and outside of regular operating hours.
While Johanna loves creating her “edible art” for Dolce de Zabala, she also loves the connection she is steadily growing with other local small business owners and the way they are learning to work together. As her business and relationships grow, she strives to create a different kind of sweetness: that of giving back to the community that has supported her dream.
