Meet Kim Martellotta of Bello Caramels in East Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Martellotta.

Kim, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved to Gilbert Arizona from St. Charles, Illinois in 2014 with my husband and three children. My passion has always been a culinary/pastry arts. In Illinois, I was a bakery manager and cake decorator since I was in high school. In college, I got to work with chefs from all over the world and loved every minute of it. Once we moved and got settled I decided to make caramels, as I was missing my mom’s caramels from back home. They turned out amazing and with some encouragement from family and friends I decided to try my first Farmers Market in 2016 which was San Tan Valley Farmer’s Market and Bazaar. My business quickly took off. We’ve grown from two to three caramel flavors to 22-23.

We’ve added handmade marshmallow, caramel dipping sauce, nut brittles and toffee to our menu. Gilbert Farmer’s Market is now our home market which is amazing. We are so thankful to be a part of it and for all of our amazing customers for their support. We also vend at many other special events throughout the valley. We are completely family-owned and operated and I couldn’t do it without the help and support of my husband and kids. Despite their own busy lives, they are always out at events helping the business.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Summer is our biggest struggle. It’s slow and it’s hard to make ends meet at times.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We make 22-23 flavored caramels. All handmade, cut and wrapped by hand. We make three to four different varieties of Toffee all handmade. We make four to five different nut brittles. Our hand made caramel dipping sauce is amazing and perfect for apple slices, ice cream, cakes and coffee drinks. One of our biggest sellers is our Caramel Krispies. Homemade marshmallow in rice Krispie treats with an entire batch of caramel over the top. Another big seller is our marshmallow bombs. Whole handmade marshmallows covered in caramel and chocolate. We have varieties such as s’mores and pecan.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
As a family-owned business, I believe in top-notch customer service. That is the key to any successful business.

Pricing:

• Mix and match caramel 12, $10 16, $12 20,$14
• Toffee $8 per package
• Nut brittles $7 per package
• Marshmallow Bombs $6 3 pack
• Caramel Krispies $8
• Caramel Dipping Sauce $6 8oz, $10 16oz

Contact Info:

• Address: 1223 w Desert Valley Drive
  Queen Creek, AZ
• Website: www.bellocaramels.com
• Phone: 6306597359
• Email: bellocaramels@gmail.com
• Instagram: @bellocaramels
• Facebook: @thebellocaramels

Image Credit:
Kim Martellotta

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