When Melanie Lino traded her dental tools for mixing bowls, she didn’t expect baking to become her life’s work. What started as a hobby in her kitchen turned into a passion, and soon, a business rooted in Dominican tradition.
Lino previously co-owned Lit Coffee Roastery & Bakeshop on East Third Street for several years but sold her stake in 2023 to pursue her own business.
Her newest venture, From Lino, a Dominican-European fusion bakery and market, is set to open at 802 Spring St. in North Bethlehem at the end of October.
Lino said the environment at Lit Coffee was collaborative and allowed everyone to work to their strengths, but she didn’t have enough room for personal growth.
Over the past couple of years, she worked to build a financially stable operation of her own. During that time, Lino baked out of Dragonfly Hill Farm in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania and sold her goods at pop-up events.
Rebecca Buhler, a strategic operations guide for From Lino, said she joined Lit Coffee as a barista in 2018 before moving into the kitchen. When Lino resigned, Buhler decided to join her venture as the bakery’s strategic operations planner.
Buhler said Lino fosters a positive environment that encourages learning through trial and error.
“I am so grateful to be part of it and to be able to witness (Lino) curate this awesome, beautiful community space,” Buhler said.
In September, the National Honey Board recognized Lino as one of the top 20 bakers of sustainable, honey-sweetened baked goods in support of the Honey Saves Hives Program, a campaign that raises awareness about preserving honey bees and the food ecosystem.
Lino practices sustainability as one of her core business principles by eliminating single-use plastics and regularly composting through partnerships with local farms.
“I grew up in a financially insecure household raised by immigrants, so sustainability was just a way of life for us,” Lino said. “It just naturally became part of how I conduct business too.”
In addition to the honey-sweetened goods, the bakery will also feature vegan items, including puff pastry, walnut bread and “pan de batata,” a Dominican sweet potato bread. Savory breads and pastries, including baked pastelitos, which are modified with puff pastry instead of traditionally fried dough, will also be on the menu.
Lino said while some members of the older generation may turn their noses at her nontraditional dishes, others have embraced her celebration of Dominican culture.
Jessica Tsu, a former Lit Coffee regular who became an employee there in 2021, trained under Lino and Buhler. She said Lino’s pop-up shop was one of her favorite destinations in the Lehigh Valley.
“As a person of color, I felt like her bakeshop was one of my favorite food destinations in the Lehigh Valley,” Tsu said. “It was kind of hard to find that quality of diversity.”
She also said she’s excited to see Lino open her own bakery and that she’s deserving of all of the attention she gets, hoping her momentum will continue.
In May, From Lino participated in an annual spring plant sale hosted by The Seed Farm, a nonprofit in the Lehigh Valley, where the bakery’s team interacted with familiar customers from Lit Coffee and From Lino.
Buhler said that was her first time joining Lino on-site rather than working behind the scenes.
“You see people who like stuff on the internet, and it’s really great, but having those interactions in person make it so meaningful and special,” Buhler said.
Even though these moments make running a small business rewarding, Lino said it isn’t always glamorous, especially when balancing life as a full-time business owner and a mother.
Lino said she’s able to adjust her business around her child, but it’s easy to lose sight of herself in the process.
“One financially sustains me and fuels my passion and my purpose,” she said. “The other one is my human being that I am hoping to raise to be a solid person in our society.”
Despite the challenges, Lino said being both a mother and a business owner are very important parts of her life, driving her to work hard.
Ahead of the bakery’s opening, Buhler said she’s excited for its doors to open so the public can experience everything From Lino’s team has been working on.
“I’m ready to just go full steam ahead and support in whatever way I can to open this business and keep it thriving,” Buhler said.
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