Sunshine Day
Google
I’m deducting two stars because of the overall experience. Anyone who’s ever been to Kilwins on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota (or any location) knows what I mean. The moment you get close, the rich aroma and full chocolatier experience pull you in like a magnet — it’s impossible to walk by without stepping inside. And to the owner of The Velvet Bar, if you haven’t been to that Kilwins, I highly recommend visiting once they reopen after renovations. You’ll see exactly how powerful that environment can be.
That’s where The Velvet Bar falls short. To be honest, it smelled more like an old museum than a bakery. The woman who took my order said the cookies had just come out of the oven, but I couldn’t smell a thing. There was no inviting scent in the air, and that really took away from the excitement of the visit.
The overall vibe didn’t help either — Mary J. Blige was playing while I waited. And while I love Mary, she’s not exactly the soundtrack for a bakery. The place just didn’t have that warm, cozy bakery feel at all. Honestly, it made me wonder what was going on in the kitchen… just saying.
My suggestion? Either relocate or knock down some of those walls. Let that delicious aroma flow through the space and out the door — draw people in with the smell of your treats the way a bakery should. People eat with their eyes and noses. Even if someone walks in with a budget in mind, once they see and smell your offerings, the wallet will follow. It’s like how Subway used to lure folks in with the smell of baking bread and cookies — it worked every time.
Now with all that said — the red velvet Bundt cake I ordered was warm, fluffy, and pretty good. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it hit the spot. Still better than those bland, overrated Nothing Bundt Cakes.
If you ever open another location, please give us a drive-thru and an open-concept setup. People love to see behind the scenes — or at least I do! Seeing that cream cheese icing being drizzled onto a hot Bundt would be a delight to my taste buds. And honestly, a bakery should smell like something is being baked.
This isn’t to tear down a Black-owned business — it’s to help pull more people in, because the cakes are truly worth discovering.