BY ELIZABETH LINCICOME
When local entrepreneur Daniela Waterhouse left her native Brazil and settled in North Carolina, she decided to introduce Brazilian culture and food to Americans through Moon Angel Sweets. Moon Angel’s signature product is the brigadeiro, one of Brazil’s most popular sweets, which can be best compared to a truffle.
Waterhouse says finding a location for Moon Angel’s tasting room in Morrisville was an obvious choice. “It was really a no-brainer to have our tasting room here due to our desire to focus on our mail and online orders, as well as catering to the multitude of large corporations around here, and obviously RTP and all three major universities,” says Waterhouse. The tasting room is where she hosts events like wedding tastings, company get-togethers and “make your own brigadeiro” night. The showroom is open one day a week for patrons to pick up online orders.
Waterhouse emphasizes giving back to the community by partnering with five local nonprofits. The most visible of these is Gigi’s Playhouse Raleigh, a nonprofit achievement organization for people with Down syndrome and their families.
“I am thrilled to provide dignified work opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” says Waterhouse. “I love that we employ several wonderful people in the production and packaging of our brigadeiros.”
Moon Angel Sweets also partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle, Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina, Hope North Carolina and Extraordinary Ventures. Five percent of each purchase from Moon Angel Sweets goes to the customer’s choice of these charitable giving partners.
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