Bringing A Brazilian Flair to the Greater Philadelphia Area
About Us
Bom dia, and welcome to Merenda Box! We are a pastry shop in Conshohocken, PA, inspired by the tastes, sounds, and colors of Brazilian culture. Our founder, Daniela, dreamed of bringing the spirited way of life experienced in Brazil to the historic mill town in suburban Philadelphia through recipes and customs learned from her own family.
At Merenda Box, delight your senses with an extensive range of Brazilian delicacies, small bites, and quick treats to enjoy between meals or anytime! The menu features famous eats like pão de queijo, a popular cheese bread snack, and traditional desserts like brigadeiro, a rich, chocolatey confection. We guarantee a hint of Brazilian flair will be felt in every bite.
From the moment you walk through the door, you will experience the Brazilian culture like never before, and we guarantee it won’t be found anywhere else in this area. Merenda Box is not just a concept to the owner, Daniela, but her passion and way of life, and she can’t wait for you to try the infusion of flavors, essence, and ingredients of Brazil. Saũde!
Our Story
Growing up in Rio, owner Daniela experienced her academic days a little differently than we do here in the United States. Her school year ran from February to December, was split into two semesters, and she had a two-week-long winter vacation in July. Her day began around 7 AM and ended at 1 PM, where it was typical for her to have a merenda instead of a lunch break.
Similar to some cultures' afternoon tea traditions, a merenda is a Brazilian snack break. Usually, a smaller meal eaten between lunch and dinner, a merenda commonly involved coffee, tea, and chimarrão with an assortment of simple confections like cookies, cakes, or bread. Regardless of the country, this unofficial fourth meal, the beloved ritual of the merenda, has been carried over to Daniela’s own store, Merenda Box.
During the height of the pandemic, many bakeries and coffee shops closed. While already roasting her own coffee at ‘feine, the only logical next step was for Daniela to venture into the kitchen herself. She took this time of isolation to reach out to her customers by sharing her love for coffee and food, and Merenda Box was born.
The menu is heavily influenced by what she remembers loving as a child, combined with what she could figure out how to make. Perfecting her Brazilian menu offerings took some trial and error (who would have known that the Portuguese way to say “salt to taste” translates to “hit the salt?”), but now she has a well developed (and well-received!) array of flavors and aromas, making her salty and savory concoctions come to life at Merenda Box. Whether you’re stopping in to try the “Joelho” (her personal favorite) or sampling something sweet like the Arroz Doce, she hopes to unite everyone in snacking.
“From start to finish, working with Daniela was pleasant and stress-free. The pastries are beyond what we could have imagined.”
- Jeanine S., Events Customer