Business partner hopes for a speedy recovery after South African bakery’s main ingredient was involved in a serious car accident

SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio pastry chef was seriously injured in a car crash and is recovering from the accident, which occurred Monday. She is the “main ingredient” of the Sweet Baker business.

Now that she is temporarily out, her business partner and friend Angel Encarnacion is fighting to maintain her dream and livelihood.

“We’ve been through a lot with this business,” he said. “It’s a dream, you know. In the end, we live for it.”

There are three Sweet Baker locations in San Antonio, including the one in Southtown at 701 South Presa.

Stephanie Padilla bakes all the treats and sweets. She’s practically the head pastry chef. On Monday, she said she crashed on I-35. Padilla said she tried to use the brakes after cars suddenly stopped on the highway, but she said she ended up crashing into the back of a pickup truck.

Encarnacion rushed to the scene.

“It’s not just about business,” he said. “She’s my friend. She’s everything. When I see it was really bad, all that blood.”

They said their car was a total loss. They said she had a broken nose and was expected to be out for six to eight weeks.

“We have a really good friendship,” he said. “And when you see someone suffering like that, it’s really bad.”

At the moment, Encarnacion is solely responsible for everything. He still whips up his unique Puerto Rican pastries and also fills other cafes’ orders.

“Right now I’m just asking for a little help,” he said.

The small business owner said this shop was her dream when the two graduated from the Culinary Institute of America

“I can’t close,” he said. “We live for it.”

In the meantime, another business: J’s Sweet Cupcakery is helping bake the cake orders it received this weekend.

If you would like to support, click here for company information and click here to donate to Padilla’s GoFundMe.