While the first year can be the demise of some businesses, A Sweet Affair Bakery and Café made it over the hurdle. Karen and John Santoro opened A Sweet Affair Bakery and Café on Oct. 15, 2022 and hosted a celebration for theiranniversary exactly one year later. The event included guessing games, a coloring contest for children and a free coffee or hot chocolate with a purchase. “A lot of businesses fail in their first year of being open and we thought we should celebrate getting past it,” Karen said. Karen’s career started when she started a business out of her home in California. When the family moved to Excelsior Springs and space became available, she knew it was time to start this adventure. “The Excelsior Springs community has been my favorite part of this journey,” Karen stated. “I love our regulars and I hope to have many more.” Being thriving business owners has presented many obstacles in this first year for the Santoro’s. “Finding help has been so hard. We need a…