CocoBella’s whisks charming European bakery to St. Clair

Long-time St. Clair County residents, Dan and Heather Brennan, paired their entrepreneurial spirits with European chef, Samantha Santiago Torres, to put the charming town of St. Clair on the map with CocoBella’s Bakery. 

Dan Brennan says he has always worked on large-scale commercial projects, so when the couple decided it was time to do something fun for themselves, they posted a community question asking locals what type of business they would like to see in St. Clair.

Overwhelmingly, the answer was a fresh bakery. 

Torres, a native of Spain and European-trained pastry chef, had always dreamed of owning her own bakery. The trio, knowing they were taking a risk opening a bakery of this caliber in a small city, put their heads together and began planning, eventually taking a leap of faith to open the European-style bakery. 

“We had the vision, and she had the product,” Brennan says. “This partnership was an easy decision.”

The menu includes a variety of handcrafted pastries and breads, globally inspired sandwiches, specialty coffees and drinks, and many exquisite desserts to satisfy a sweet tooth. Gluten-free options are also available.  

The bakery is located at 1309 Clinton Avenue, St. Clair, and is open Monday and Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Inside CocoBella’s

It’s impossible to drive past CocoBella’s and miss its unique architecture from the street. Modeled after Disney’s Ratatouille, the bakery has attracted visitors from hundreds of miles away since its opening in November 2025.  

Brennan studied French and Italian bakery architecture before designing CocoBella’s, and the details “hit you as soon as you walk in,” he says, with historical items uniquely placed throughout, each with its own story framed and displayed. 

From the hardwood floors, transported from Kentucky’s Jim Beam Distillery, which burned down in 2019, to the coffered ceilings and chandeliers, visitors are transported into a turn-of-the-century bygone era.

With 35 available seats, including a child’s play area, Patrons can enjoy a breakfast croissant while gazing through the almost 200-year-old windows. Taken from a church in New York built in the 1930s, folks can watch Torres and her impeccably dressed chefs in colorful attire create their delicious masterpieces.

“If someone is going to drive an hour or two to visit, we value their time and effort, raising the level of importance to make customers happy, and our products the very best,” Brennan says.  “We want them to come back!” 

The owners pride themselves on ensuring there are enough goods for each customer every day, carefully collecting data from weeks before to be as accurate as possible. They keep a steady drumbeat of social media posts to encourage the community to arrive early and enjoy the freshest selections often not found in stores, as the Brennans believe we’ve all grown accustomed to a commercialized baked-good experience.

“There is no day-old section in our bakery,” Brennan says. “Everything is baked fresh daily.”

There is something to see, read, and learn everywhere inside CocoBella’s. The owners hope that each time people visit the bakery, they get to experience something new, with plans for outdoor seating this Spring.

“The best books are meant to be read over and over, each time experiencing it a little differently,” Brennan says. “That was the experience we were looking to create with CocoBella’s, and we believe we have done just that. Customers who have become friends are returning, each time discovering a detail they missed on their first visit – just like a good book.”