Today we’d like to introduce you to Cinthya Romriell.
Hi Cinthya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I earned my degree from The University of Texas at Austin and initially planned to become a teacher, but I discovered that food had a unique ability to bring people together and create lasting memories. That realization led me to culinary school and eventually to a career as a pastry chef, where I spent years developing dessert programs in hotels and professional kitchens.
As a pastry chef, I loved the creativity, but I wanted the opportunity to build something that reflected my own vision and values. In 2022, I founded Cinful Sweets in Austin, Texas, combining my passion for chocolate, education, and community. What started as a small dream has grown into an artisanal chocolate studio offering handcrafted bonbons, custom chocolate creations, custom breakables, corporate gifting, and interactive chocolate-making classes.
As a Honduran-American chef, I’m especially inspired by cacao’s deep roots in Mesoamerican culture and enjoy incorporating storytelling and heritage into my work. Today, Cinful Sweets is more than a chocolate shop—it’s a place where people connect, learn, celebrate, and experience the artistry behind chocolate. Being able to share that experience with our community while building a business alongside my family has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not. Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve faced my share of challenges, and some have been unique to my journey.
One of the biggest obstacles has been balancing the physical demands of running a chocolate business while living with sickle cell disease. Entrepreneurship often requires long hours on your feet, lifting, production work, events, and managing the unexpected. There have been days when my health has forced me to slow down, even when the business needed me to keep going. Learning how to navigate those limitations while still showing up for my team, customers, and family has required resilience and adaptability.
Beyond the health challenges, building a business from the ground up comes with its own struggles—learning how to wear every hat, managing cash flow, hiring and training the right people, overcoming equipment failures, and finding ways to grow while maintaining quality. There are moments of uncertainty, setbacks, and sacrifices that most people never see.
At the same time, those challenges have shaped me into a stronger leader and business owner. They’ve taught me the importance of perseverance, building a supportive team, and creating systems that allow the business to thrive even when life doesn’t go according to plan. Every obstacle has reinforced why I started Cinful Sweets in the first place: to create something meaningful, bring people together through chocolate, and build a legacy my family can be proud of.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the founder and master chocolatier of Cinful Sweets, an artisanal chocolate studio in Austin, Texas. We specialize in handcrafted bonbons, custom chocolate creations, corporate gifting, experiential chocolate classes, and edible works of art that blend craftsmanship, storytelling, and community.
What we’re most known for is creating chocolates that are both visually stunning and deeply personal. Many of our flavors are inspired by my Honduran heritage, my culinary background as a pastry chef, and the rich history of cacao in Mesoamerica. We also create large-scale chocolate showpieces, custom corporate gifts, custom breakables and interactive experiences that invite people behind the scenes to see how chocolate is made.
What I’m most proud of is the community we’ve built. Cinful Sweets isn’t just a place to buy chocolate—it’s a place where people gather, learn, celebrate milestones, and create memories together. Seeing guests leave a class feeling confident, inspired, and connected is just as rewarding as creating the chocolates themselves.
What sets us apart is our combination of artistry, education, and hospitality. While many chocolate shops focus solely on the finished product, we invite people into the process. Our open-kitchen concept allows guests to watch chocolate being made, ask questions, and engage with the craft firsthand. Every piece is made with intention, and every experience is designed to create connection. In a world that moves quickly, we’re creating moments that encourage people to slow down, learn something new, and share something special with others.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The quality that has contributed most to my success is my willingness to continually challenge myself, even when success isn’t guaranteed. Early in my career, I competed on two national Food Network competition shows. Standing on a national stage alongside incredibly talented chefs pushed me far outside my comfort zone and forced me to perform under pressure, think creatively, and trust my skills.
While I didn’t win either competition, the experience taught me something even more valuable than a trophy. It taught me how much growth happens when you’re willing to take risks, accept feedback, and learn from setbacks. Those experiences stretched my limits and showed me that success isn’t always about being the best in the room—it’s about having the courage to keep showing up, improving, and pursuing excellence.
That mindset has carried over into building Cinful Sweets. Whether it’s developing new products, overcoming health challenges, growing a business, or taking on opportunities that feel intimidating, I’ve learned that progress comes from being willing to try, learn, and keep moving forward. Curiosity, resilience, and a commitment to continuous growth have been some of the most important ingredients in my journey.
Pricing:
- $3.75
- $12
- $20
- $45
- $225
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cinfulsweets.com
- Instagram: cinfulsweetsatx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cinfulsweetsatx
- LinkedIn: @CinthyaRomriell
- Yelp: @CinfulSweets
