Retail Watch: Former competitive kickboxer opens sourdough bakery in Quakertown
A former competitive kickboxer and martial artist has found a new use for her hands - kneading not faces, but dough at a new Quakertown bakery.
All You Knead opened in late March within the Nefarious Eats Commissary Kitchen at 500 W. Broad St., owner Nicole Martorella Gutierrez said.
Martorella Gutierrez, who also works as a personal trainer, said she is a lifelong athlete, having gotten into swimming when she was 8 years old and later into weightlifting.
She became “hooked” on martial arts after her husband Isaiah Gutierrez, who grew up as a boxer, wanted to pick up martial arts again. After competing in kickboxing and mixed martial arts from 2022 to 2025, she retired and now does it recreationally so she can pursue the baking business.
“As I like to say: from fighter to flour,” Martorella Gutierrez said.
In a way, fighting prepared Martorella Gutierrez to be a business owner, she said. It taught her how to do things while scared, anxious or uncertain of the outcome.
The baking has also managed to be less violent - “No more getting in a ring and getting punched in the face and getting hurt,” she said.
Martorella Gutierrez added that she’s always been a bread baker at heart, following her family’s history with food and the industry. Her grandfather Francesco Martorella owned a restaurant at what is now Tohickon Restaurant & Tavern in Tinicum Township, Bucks County; her uncle Francesco Jr. works as a chef; and she can remember how her grandmother Maria would bake bread, “an invitation for people to come together and to spend time with one another and to enjoy each other’s company.”
“Growing up, that’s how I always remember my grandmother’s homemade bread being,” Martorella Gutierrez said. “That was the first thing that was on the table, and all of us would go straight to the table to start eating bread before we would eat anything else. And I think in this day and age, I think a lot of us are very disconnected from ourselves and just from others. And my way of trying to remedy that is by baking bread and hoping that someone brings that to their friends or to a birthday party or to their family’s house for dinner, and allowing those people to come together and to enjoy a food that is wholesome and healthy and baked with care and good ingredients without any unnecessary chemicals or things like that.”
Matorella Gutierrez rents space at Nefarious Eats, accepts preorders throughout the week, typically bakes all of her bread on Saturday and then arranges for pickup or delivery.
Pickup and delivery within 10 miles of Quakertown are usually available 7-10 a.m. Saturday. Customers can place orders by calling 484-213-9245, emailing allyoukneadbreadandco@gmail.com, messaging on social media or going to the website.
Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
Mr. Lee's Noodles: The ramen restaurant is expected to reopen in the next few weeks at Five10 Flats at 512 E. Third St. in Bethlehem after it closed from last year’s fire. It recently received its certificate of occupancy and is now hiring staff.
Dollar General: The discount retail chain opened a new store at 1328 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.
Zahra: The restaurant reopened May 1 at 323 S. Cedar Crest Blvd. in Allentown after it closed about a year ago at the former Downtown Allentown Market. The menu includes shawarma, falafel, burgers, hummus, babaganouj and baklava.
Al-Azeez Grill: The restaurant announced it has opened at the former Griddle 145 property at 1146 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township.
J’s Northampton: The sandwich shop will close May 30 at 1830 Main St. in Northampton, owner Candace Strain said.
“Without our community, we wouldn’t have made it this long,” she said. “It’s very important that our community is aware that we appreciate them.”
Strain’s husband Daniel owned and operated the restaurant since 1986. She began working there in 1997 and took over after Daniel died last year.
Braveheart Highland Pub: The popular pub has gone up for sale at 430 Main St. in Hellertown as owner Andy Lee looks to retire. It will remain open until a new buyer is found.
In other news
The frozen pierogi manufacturer The Pierogi Kings opened in early January and acquired Bayou Boys Pierogies, including the recipes, equipment and clients, a news release announced.
Treasurer Pat Breslin, a motivational speaker and former Bethlehem Township commissioner, told The Morning Call that Bayou Boys Pierogies focused mostly on fundraising and they hope to expand their wholesale accounts and into regions like Philadelphia.
“I think there’s a real potential overall for pierogies,” Breslin said. “I think it’s untapped and I think our pierogi is the best.”
Fiesta on Hamilton will occur 1-7 p.m. May 17 on Hamilton Street between Eighth and 12th streets in Allentown, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce said online.
“With Latinos making up 54% of the city’s population, this Event highlights their significant contributions to the area’s culture and identity,” the website said. “The Fiesta will feature world-class entertainment, ensuring a full day of high-energy performances that showcase the rich musical traditions of Latin America. In addition to music, attendees can enjoy various delicious Latino cuisine, representing the community’s diverse flavors.”
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.
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