Newton Centre is getting a new cake and coffee shop this summer: Luna’s Cakes and Coffee, run by sisters Valeria and Valentina Restrepo.

They have been baking cakes out of their Revere home for several years, and decided it was time to open up a storefront. They plan to offer custom cakes and cakes to go, as well as coffee and pastries that people can sit and enjoy at the location.

After searching for the right location for a year, they decided on 1269 Centre St., which was previously a Starbucks.

The sisters are Colombian, and they’re pleased to bring their culture’s cuisine to Newton. One of their specialties is Maria Luisa cake, which is an orange flavored cake layered with dulce de leche (caramelized milk). Another is a fruit cake soaked in wine, which is popular in Colombia for special occasions.

They also plan to offer a coffee drink inspired by Maria Luisa cake and are hoping to be able to only offer Colombian coffee.

The sisters have been happy to have the support of local Colombians, including Colombian employees at other Newton Centre businesses, who are excited to have a taste of home. They hope in the future to add Colombian savory breads, but plan to start out with what they’re good at: cake.

But they didn’t start out with cake—they started with banana bread. In 2020, Valentina had been laid off from her hospitality job, and Valeria had finished a degree in veterinary medicine and wasn’t sure what to do next. They started baking in their home, and then a friend suggested an Instagram.

“We got requests for different desserts, like tiramisu, and we started saying yes to everything,” said Valentina.

Soon they were branching out.

“I watched a lot of decorating tutorials on YouTube and Instagram. Everything we’ve learned has been self taught, and nothing was really planned,” said Valeria.

Now they make a huge variety of treats, from Pride cake-pops to uniform-inspired police graduation cakes to flower cupcakes, and so much more.

Their business took off when Valentina returned to the hospitality industry in 2021, and her new firm was supportive of her cake business.

Through them, she was able to make the connections she needed to get corporate cake orders. And while she plans to still have corporate accounts, she wants to focus on the store. She hopes people will want to sit and eat. They will have small cakes, as well as other desserts. “We don’t want to just be somewhere you get something and go—we want to be welcoming,” she said.

There will be tables and a bar to sit at the windows. The sisters have been walking around Newton Centre introducing themselves, and they’ve been pleased by the reception.

“The community is amazing,” said Valentina.

They’re still awaiting the final permits required to open, but they’re hoping for late July or early August. Their hours will be Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.