Sweet T’s Bakery, selling sweet potato baked goods, opening in Reading Terminal

Look for a new, permanent merchant selling sweet potato-based baked goods and desserts in Reading Terminal Market.

Sweet T's Bakery is the first Black-owned bakery in the historic market, according to Reading Terminal. Last fall, Sweet T’s started at the market through its Day Cart program, which offers temporary space to merchants, and quickly saw success, selling out their products every weekend.

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Owners Tia and Mark El first opened Sweet T's in South Philadelphia in 2014. The couple closed their brick-and-mortar location in 2018, pivoting to a food truck.

The bakery in Reading Terminal will offer things like sweet potato pie, sweet potato pound cake and sweet potato cheesecake, along with four signature drinks. Whole cakes and pies will be available for purchase, as well as slices and three-inch personal pies. 

"Our recipes are inspired by my grandmother's. The business has grown from me putting my own twist – like graham cracker crust – on her pies for friends and family during the holidays to a permanent location in Philadelphia's most iconic market," Tia El said.

Sweet T's is set to open in mid-April at the intersection of Avenues C and 12 in the market. The new merchant will move into the space formerly occupied by Metropolitan Bakery, which now sells its full line of product through the Pennsylvania General Store in the market.

The bakery will operate five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday. Starting in the fall, it will be open daily.

"Our signature product, sweet potato pie, is something that most people typically enjoy around the holidays," Mark El said. "We’re excited to offer a slice of the holidays to our customers all year long."