My name is Maria Natale, owner of Gio’s Pastry Shop. Six years ago, I rescued a Pitbull I named Giovanni/aka Gio. I nursed him back to good health but then in 2017 he tore his CCL and required a TPLO knee surgery. At the time I did not have enough money to pay for the surgery up front, so some friends started a GoFundMe account. I did not like the idea of the GoFundMe and felt that there had to be another way to raise the money for his surgery. I began baking Italian bread and cookies for friends, family, neighbors, etc. to help raise the money. My items caught attention because these items were difficult to find in the South. When I was done fundraising, and Gio had his surgery, people in the community still reached out to me asking me to make bread and cookies for them. This allowed me to begin a small side business and start to make appearances at the Fountain Inn Farmer’s Market and many local events throughout the Upstate. With this success, I decided that I wanted to open a small shop in Fountain Inn…and that is where our story begins. The shop will open late Summer 2020 and will allow me to expand and carry some imported and difficult to find items for those seeking them.
I am extremely excited for this new adventure! Also, I am forever grateful for God’s blessings and all of the amazing people and community that started with me from the very beginning to help make Gio’s what it is today!
