Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonia Valdes And Pablo Affif Valdes // Affif.
Hi Sonia Valdes and Pablo Affif, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Our story began in Argentina, in the middle of a pandemic lockdown.
It was during those uncertain days that Soni’s lifelong love for baking started to resurface. While still working at her parents’ grill house, she enrolled in one of the most prestigious culinary schools in Argentina and began building this dream from the kitchen of our home.
But the economic situation made it nearly impossible to grow our project there. So, with our hearts full of hope, we made the hardest decision of our lives: we sold our beloved home where it all began, and said goodbye to our family, friends, and the life we knew to try and build something new in the United States.
That’s how Soni’s Bakery was born in Orlando, FL — a place where every recipe carries a story, every treat is made with love, and every customer becomes part of the dream.
Baking is our way of telling a story — one that shares not only our flavors, but a part of who we are. More than pastries, each creation is a piece of our journey, a dream meant to be shared.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road hasn’t always been smooth, but every challenge has become a learning opportunity. Moving to a new country and leaving behind our family and everything we knew was emotionally and logistically difficult.
We also faced a double learning curve. On one hand, learning how to run a brick-and-mortar business with daily customer interaction, which was very different from operating as a home-based venture. On the other, understanding local habits, tastes, and market cycles—testing ideas and offerings we truly believed in, only to realize that some didn’t resonate as expected.
There were moments of doubt, unexpected setbacks, and long days, but each challenge strengthened our determination. Today, those experiences shape who we are and how we run Soni’s Bakery, turning every obstacle into an opportunity to grow, adapt, and better connect with our community.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Soni’s Bakery, we are a family-owned bakery built on passion, resilience, and a deep love for what we do. From the moment you walk through our door, we focus on making everyone feel comfortable, relaxed, and truly at home. We are deeply involved in the day-to-day of the bakery, and our top priority is providing warm, personalized attention. This care and closeness is something that stands out again and again in our reviews and is a central part of the experience we offer.
Brand-wise, what we are most proud of is authenticity. Soni is a professional pastry chef, trained at one of the most prestigious culinary schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and she has the skills and techniques to create something special for every order. We specialize in challenging requests: when a customer is looking for something they can’t find anywhere else, we make it possible thanks to the variety of techniques Soni masters. Our commitment is to always sell fresh products, with every order prepared from scratch with the care and dedication it deserves. Everything is produced by us, with attention to every detail and flavor.
The combination of this professional foundation and the personalized attention we offer every customer is what truly sets Soni’s Bakery apart, providing a complete and unique experience from the moment you walk in to the very last bite.
What we want readers to know is that we have a sincere desire to bring joy through food. Soni’s Bakery exists to celebrate life’s moments—big and small—with warmth, creativity, and heart.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
For us, risk has always been part of the journey toward our dreams. The biggest risk we took was selling almost everything we owned in Argentina and moving to the United States to build Soni’s Bakery. It was a huge leap—leaving behind our home, our family, friends, and everything we knew, with the uncertainty of starting from scratch in a new country.
This risk was conscious and calculated: we knew that without taking this step, our dream of owning a bakery could never become reality. Since then, every day involves taking risks, such as trying new recipes, offering products we’ve never made before, handling challenging custom orders, or adapting to the tastes of the local market.
From our perspective, taking risks doesn’t mean acting without thinking; it means being brave enough to step out of your comfort zone, learn quickly from mistakes, and use every challenge as an opportunity to grow. For us, Soni’s Bakery is the result of embracing those risks—and continuing to do so thoughtfully and passionately every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sonisbakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonisbakeryfl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573046480166#
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sonis-bakery-orlando
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sonisbakeryfl
