Maria Kremer

Maria is the Co-Owner and Operations Director at SWIRL Dessert Bar in South End Charlotte. She studied at The Institute of Culinary Arts High School in Gainesville, FL for three years before moving to Miami, FL to attend Johnson & Wales University. During the pandemic, she moved to Charlotte, NC’s JWU campus and received her associates degree in Baking & Pastry Arts in 2021. From there, she took a gap year to accept a position in Boone, NC as the Executive Pastry Chef at a Cake Design Studio. In that position, she learned that she didn’t just want to run a bakery, she wanted to own it herself. 

She moved back to Charlotte, NC in 2022 and received her bachelor's degree in Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship in 2023. During that time, she partnered with Entrepreneur Curtis Stone at SWIRL Dessert Bar, helping the shop win multiple Charlotte Magazine BOB awards for Best Cupcake, Best Ice Cream Sandwich, and recently Charlotte Observer’s Best Cookie in Charlotte. In addition to running SWIRL, Maria opened her own Cake Studio in 2024, Sugar & Storm, and has enjoyed being a Cake Artist again. She’s honored to be a part of the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer event for the second year, using her love of baking to help make a difference for children and families in need. 

Social Handle: @swirlclt