Romania-inspired chimney cake restaurant opens this month at Briarwood

When Teo Marcinescul went to Romania last year, he tried something he'd never tasted before. It was a cylinder of sweet dough with a sugar glazed, dipped in toppings. And it was delicious.  "I was like, 'Wow, these are amazing,'" says Marcinescul. "Why don't we have these in America?" The pastry is called a Chimney Cake, and after Marcinescul and his two traveling partners did their research and developed a business plan, they became available in Taylor, and soon, they'll be making their debut at Briarwood Mall with the Chimney Cake Cafe.  "So far, everybody likes it," Marcinescul says of their reception in Taylor. "We decided to open the second location, and hopefully we'll keep growing from there." The chimney cakes are made from a sweet dough that is wrapped around a rod a baked with a coat of sugar. When the dough is baked, the sugar caramelizes, and customers can choose from a range of toppings, including walnuts, Nutella, Oreos, peanut butter and more. The Chimney Cake Cafe will also offer savory cakes stuffed with chicken shawarma, Philly cheesesteak and pepperoni, among other options.  The Chimney Cake Cafe opened its first store in the Southland Mall in Taylor in February. The Briarwood location will be located near the Chipotle and Potato & Co. restaurant and will open within about two weeks.  Eight employees are currently working at the Taylor location, and Marcinescul anticipates hiring at least as many for the Briarwood store. Marcinescul hopes to continue to add more stores to their business in the future. Source: Teo Marcinescul, Chimney Cake Cafe Writer: Natalie Burg