Small Business Sundays: Sweet Symphony Bakery

Padilla's senior photo. Photo: William Liu

"Band, ten hut!"

Any band student at Catalina Foothills High School knows who says those words: lead drum major Antonio Padilla. But, members of the Tucson community may know Padilla's name from his bakery, Sweet Symphony Bakery.

"Most of my life has been revolved around music," Padilla said, which is the reason for the bakery's name.

As far as his passion for baking goes, Padilla recalls that when he was younger, his mother had made delicious zucchini bread, and showed him how to make it.

"And then I just started wanting to bake a lot more."

In fourth and fifth grade, Padilla began giving his delicious baked goods to people whom he knew.

"I like making people smile a little bit with the things that I make... it just warms your heart a little bit."

In middle school, he continued his affinity for baking and carried that into high school. Then, in 2023, he turned that passion into an official business.

Padilla conducts the Catalina Foothills Falcon Band before the Tucson Rodeo Parade in 2024. Photo: James S. Wood/jswoodphotography.com

"[As a senior] there's a lot of pressure on you to start, you know, making your own kind of living."

So, he decided to start a business. The people to whom he had given baked goods in the past were immediately excited.

For Padilla, it is a labor of love. He spends long nights after his afternoon job and band rehearsals baking for his clients.

"It's kind of like a relief at the end of the day. Like, oh, I've created something beautiful. Even if it's been a very long day of rehearsal, school, whatever."

Word spread quickly about his baked goods. Padilla's largest order came from a local hair salon. "They were like, your mom brought in some treats and all of my coworkers want them... I spent my whole Saturday afternoon from 12 to like 11 at night, just taking things in and out and boxing things up because I do it all by myself."

Padilla plans to go to the University of Arizona and major in music education. But, he wants to continue the business.

"It makes me feel good to make other people happy outside of just the same performances all the time," he said.

Padilla takes orders for his baked goods on his Instagram, and can also be found on Facebook.

Thinking ahead, Padilla said, "It'd be cool to one day far in the future, come back to Tucson and retire and open up a bakery."