Sterling bakery Aurelio’s moving into former Candlelight Inn building, expanding menu

STERLING – Aurelio’s Bake Shop and Coffee House will be moving to the former Candlelight Inn building at 2907 Locust St. in Sterling later this year.

Owner Aurelio Gallardo told Shaw Local that the move will provide additional dine-in seating, a drive-thru option and new menu items, including sandwiches, soups, bagels, custom cream cheeses and new specialty coffee drinks.

The business also will have a new name: Aurelio’s Cake Factory Bistro & Cafe.

Gallardo said the new location will feature a build-your-own cake bar, where customers can have custom 8-inch, single-layer cakes built on the spot. Aurelio’s also will offer edible fresh fruit arrangements alongside its classic baked goods, including cookies, cupcakes, muffins, cakes and more.

“We’ll be able to build you a cake in about five minutes,” Gallardo said. “We’ll slice the cake while you choose the different toppings or cream fillings. We’ll have all kinds of fresh fruits and toppings like strawberries, peaches, pineapple, cherries, M&Ms, toasted coconut, almonds and pecans.”

Some interior work still needs to be done before the opening, which Gallardo is tentatively planning for the first week in June. He also plans to increase seating in the building’s upstairs banquet space, which can be rented for private events at a later date.

“The kitchen is going to be our cake room, and then we’re putting the ovens on the other side,” Gallardo said. “We’re also doing new floors and walls, which is something that we’re starting next week. Also, painting the walls because it’s too dark in there.”

The new location will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but Gallardo is considering expanding those hours down the road. He runs the shop with his wife Araceli and their sons, Alex, Xavier and Emiliano.

The Candlelight Inn in Sterling was formerly owned by Matt Prescott, who closed the location in late 2023 after 56 years in operation. Prescott also owns the Candlelights in Rock Falls, Lanark and Clinton, Iowa, along with several other bars and eateries. His father, the late Bob Prescott, opened the first Candlelight Inn in Sterling in 1967.

Aurelio’s Bakery first opened April 28, 2012, at 406 Ave. G in Sterling before moving to its current location at 517 Locust St. Gallardo studied graphic design and worked at a printing and sign company in Mexico before moving to Sterling in 1990 at age 19.

Gallardo applied at a local printing company but said he did not get the job because his English was not good at the time. He went on to find work at local restaurants and bakeries, including the former McCaslin’s bakery in Sterling.

“I started as the cleaning guy, and then I become the doughnut fryer, and then I was the head baker and in charge for the backroom,” Gallardo said. “Then, Mrs. McCaslin needed someone to help and asked me if I wanted to learn how to do cakes because of my graphic design background. So, she showed me how to decorate, and now here I am making these elegant wedding cakes in my bakery.”