Last year, Johnson City’s historic district got a little sweeter with the addition of Gabriella’s Cakes & Co, a boutique bakery.

Founded by Gabriella LoPiccolo, 28, of Johnson City, the bakery is known for its colorful pastries and adorned custom cakes. The freshly baked sweet treats are made with inspiration from traditional French and Italian baking techniques, as well as modern American baking approaches.

LoPiccolo, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, began working for her father’s restaurant in Maine, New York, after college. Simultaneously, she started working out of her own kitchen on custom orders and wedding cakes, and eventually expanded to having pop ups at local businesses. With the growing popularity from an increasing social media following and the encouragement of her friends and family, LoPiccolo decided to open her own spot for retail full of elegant and decorated desserts where people could sit and enjoy sweet treats and time with friends.

LoPiccolo described the initial process and what she and her team hoped to achieve when opening Gabriella’s Cakes & Co.

“The process has been difficult, discouraging at times, but I am proud of the beautiful spot we have created and the precise and attractive baked goods we put out,” LoPiccolo wrote in an email. “We wanted to bring something to the area that would stand out and make you feel like you are in another city — and help our city become a place of attraction for our locals, students and visitors.”

LoPiccollo went on to express her favorite aspect of opening the bakery.

“Being able to stay true to my aesthetic and to create things I truly enjoy making,” LoPiccolo wrote. “Also that we’ve brought items that are more nuance to our area, such as French macarons and our brioche bun ice cream. [We are] always trying new flavors, such as matcha or ube, [and] new trends such as cookie stuffed croissants and more.”

Mira Pasquale, 20, the head baker of Gabriella’s Cakes & Co and a Johnson City resident, was the first employee at the boutique bakery. Her job involves assisting with orders, planning and retail production. Pasquale expressed the goals she has when baking and coming up with new ideas for the business.

“My goal is to put out products I am proud of,” Pasquale wrote in an email. “I love coming up with new and interesting flavor combinations. My favorite idea I have had was to turn peach rings into a marshmallow fluff … Another goal I have is improving my skills. An example of this is royal icing sugar cookies. I try to find one thing I can improve with every set I make. I believe there is always room to learn, even if you think you’ve perfected a skill. My last goal is to make everything here artistic. We love to add bold colors, flowers and glitter to accentuate all our baked goods.”

With a mission of making Broome County sweeter by providing elaborately decorated and delicious treats, Gabriella’s Cakes & Co has further fostered its connection to the community with events including the bakery’s first birthday in February, which was commemorated with a ribbon cutting, and being featured in the Markets of Broome “Sweets and Treats Market,” where they had a colorful array of baked goods for sale.

Gabriella’s Cakes & Co is located on 265 Main St. in Johnson City and is open Wednesday through Saturday. The boutique bakery’s building can easily be spotted by the giant and vivid mural on the side — further emphasizing the vibrance that the business hopes to bring to Johnson City and the surrounding community.