Helping to grow an innovative pastries entrepreneur in the birthplace of Bolivia

March 13, 2026

The Project.

Marketing, sales and communications advice to a pastry shop in the  birthplace of Bolivia

Maria Bauer is not just another pastry brand. They execute a shop with cafeteria in Sucre and Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Their products are homemade and of high-quality, offering a fusion of cakes, pastries, biscuits and breads of German Bolivian and European origin. They offer two brands Maria Bauer and Maria Bauer Fit. Maria Bauer Fit is their nutritious and low-calorie line: a variety of triple zero pastries with zero sugar additives, zero lactose, zero gluten and 100% great taste. Perfect for consumers with diets, allergies and intolerances, looking for innovative, balanced recipes, created from natural ingredients, and without compromising a delicious flavor. 


At Maria Bauer, all consumers are included, they can eat their cake with confidence, without complications and without feeling guilty. High tea and socialing has never been this delicious for everyone! 


Founder and pastry chef Alejandra Andrade invents the recipes and manages a team of 13 salaried female employees, including her mother and sister. The quality and health & safety standards of their artisanal products are very high, all made from local (Bolivian) products, if possible, and with the Maria Bauer Fit offering manufactured in a special space, separate from their kitchen. 


Their offering includes a variety of delicious cakes, breads, cookies, etc. that they sell in their stores, through social media and WhatsApp. In addition, some cakes and cookies are sold in supermarkets, one in the center of Sucre and the other one in Sucre’s Petrolero neighbourhood. In Sucre, they offer both product lines, whereas in Santa Cruz they only sell Maria Bauer Fit's healthy products.


Collaboration with PUM

Maria Bauer sought PUMs support to achieve a further improved positioning, with special emphasis on their visibility of the nutrious zero pastry line, leading to increased presence, recognition and sales in both Sucre and Santa Cruz. 

I took on this challenge, and I traveled a long way to Sucre, via Madrid and Cochabamba, in February 2026, to support Alejandra with marketing, branding, sales and communication advice. 

 

A few observations:


 1.     Maria Bauer not only offers high-quality products but also delivers truly high-quality service. The client is King. The team receives personalised orders daily and delivers as the client requested. The detailed communication that is part of these orders is super important. The involvement of the pastry chef is critical. The knowledge she has about the recipes, the ingredients, the time it takes to make the personalised orders and trust she receives from her clients is huge, especially regarding the Maria Bauer Fit line. It’s an energising and ambitious culture where the client comes first. 

 

2.     During my stay in Sucre, the chef introduced a few new ideas for pastries, cookies and meals. Maria Bauer has an enormous potential for product innovations. Daily customers can find their daily favourites but are also treated with new products regularly. This innovation power is key for further growth and inspired by Alejandra’s life experience, her family, her time in Germany when she met the lady that carries the brand name, Maria Bauer, her travels in Europe and her knowledge of local ingredients and nutritious products. All her recipes are a fusion of German Bolivian and European origin, which makes them different than the general pastry shop in town. 

 

3.     I obviously see opportunities to improve some aspects of the business but generally I only see growth opportunities: expanding, make more people aware of the delicious products of Maria Bauer and serve more people. I offered the company several options and ideas to do that.



I especially am enthusiastic about the unique variety of their Maria Bauer Fit line and how this offering plays into the overall current trend for low calorie diets without comprimising on taste. 



This was a special project for me for a couple of reasons. Not only did I live in Alejandra’s family home, where I was warmly welcomed, learning from a Bolivian family and sharing stories of my own. I have huge respect for how the women in this family manage their busy lives as entrepreneurs, balancing their private and work life, working hard every day to manage everything.




Secondly, intolerant to lactose and gluten myself, I also feel close to entrepreneurs who offer answers to include us as an important consumer group. Of course, I tried out many pastries and can confirm in all honesty, the Maria Bauer Fit products are all delicious and I did not gain any weight or felt bad afterwards. 


And finally, Sucre, once called la Ciudad de la Plata, Chuquisaca, la Ciudad Blanca. It’s an amazing and beautiful historical place that everyone visiting Boliva should visit, because it is here where the first protests against the Spanish colonists began on the continent and where Bolivia was borne. Many statutes, buildings, churches, convents and paintings tell a part of this incredible story. I understand Spanish America better after every visit, but visiting Sucre gave me even deeper insights into how the Wars of Independence started in Bolivia and the importance of the Liberators, even today, or especially today, I should say, with the United States treating Latin America as if they own it. 


What’s next?

It was an absolute pleasure to support this business and be a part of their team. I am grateful for the experience and as with my previous projects, I will continue to follow the company’s progress from The Netherlands and remain in contact with the company for possible clarifications regarding my consultation. Thank you, PUM. Together we grow! 

 

If you do visit Sucre or Santa Cruz, don’t forget to visit Maria Bauer. 












Maria Bauer

Colombia 356, Sucre, Bolivia

+591 78661169


Maria Bauer Fit

Calle 7 Oeste, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

+591 73159481

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