Victor Guzman, a 49-year-old father of three from Vauxhall, was moved to tears as a steady stream of customers filled his new Liverpool city centre bakery within minutes of its opening. The second location of Victor's Sweet Delights launched at Covent Garden, behind the Pig & Whistle pub, and by 11:10 a.m., just after the doors opened, a queue had already formed.
Overwhelming Success After First Shop
Guzman first opened his bakery on South Road in Waterloo in early 2026, and the response was immediate and overwhelming. He told the ECHO in September that he sold out every day, thanks to a loyal customer base. After the ECHO's report, the business saw an even greater surge. “It has been non-stop. You wouldn’t believe it. After speaking with the ECHO, some people visited the shop and made TikToks, and one has nearly 600,000 views. It has been crazy,” he said.
The demand became so intense that Guzman had to temporarily close the Waterloo shop for four hours to restock. “When I said ‘OK, we are ready to open again’, there were people waiting within 15 minutes. I had to ask four other chefs to come in and help me. The queues were non-stop for three weeks,” he recalled.
Emotional Opening Day
At the new Liverpool city centre shop, Guzman became emotional seeing the support. “To see all these beautiful people here, supporting me all year, it is very emotional. It makes you feel good because people respond to what you are making. They love it. When you see someone else and they never come back, that's not what you want. That is sad. But for me, it is emotional because they are all regulars, like family now. I interact with them every day. It's passion and love,” he said.
The new shop offers handmade cakes, pastries, cheesecakes, tarts, coffee, and ice cream, similar to the Waterloo venue. Guzman, originally from the Dominican Republic, comes from a family of bakers. His father taught him and his brothers, and the family operates 14 bakeries in their home country.
From Head Chef to Entrepreneur
Guzman moved to Liverpool in 2013 with two of his daughters. He worked as head chef at Panoramic 34 for six years before launching his own business. “It’s a perfect situation being your own boss. It’s long hours because you only have yourself to do it all. You need to pay the bills, but it is all worth it. When I wake up in the morning, it feels all worth it every day,” he said.
He added that the Liverpool community has embraced him. “I love living here in Liverpool. When I first came, within minutes, I had made 20 friends. It is a lovely place. This is the first shop in Liverpool, but it definitely won’t be the last.”
Unique French-Style Bakery
Guzman prides himself on his unique French-style desserts, all homemade using his own recipes. “People are loving it, we have such good reviews, and so many customers keep coming back. It is something unique with its French style. Everything is homemade – I have my own recipes for my sponges, cream, and cake,” he explained.
He emphasized that he never wastes food. “I sell out every day, and to see that is a pure feeling, it makes you feel strong.”
