Sprinkles Italian Bakery & Market just opened in Wilmington. The charming space serves up baked goods alongside house-made and locally-sourced Italian classics like fresh bread, tomato pie and pasta. It also offers grab-and-go lunches like sandwiches and sides. The heart of the business, though, is the family behind it—particularly the young women who started Sprinkles in 2020.

When Darien and Emma Donovan started selling baked goods out of their parents’ kitchen in 2020, the girls had no idea it would soon become their full-time job. Emma—just 16 at the time—was still in high school, and 19-year-old Darien was studying to become a teacher.