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Sarah Barr, 203-578-2287 sbarr@websterbank.com

Webster Bank Supports Cannoli Truck with a Cause

WATERBURY, Conn., August 28, 2014 - Andrea Meriano of Mer i ano' s Bake Shoppe and Cannoli Truckhas been baking her way to a better day, one cannoli at a time. Family owned and operated for more than 25 years on the shoreline, and now in Madison, Conn., Meriano, along with her sister and brother, recently took over the business from their parents after loosing them both to cancer. Now they're putting their baking talents to good use by whipping up revenue, not only for their business, but to benefit cancer research.
Meriano's father opened the bakery when she was in high school. She loved watching her brother decorate
cakes. When her brother left early one day, she tried her hand it, and immediately fell in love.
"As an artist, I was able to pick up on the creative side of the business quickly. Now I love being a business owner. You have to find joy in what you do, and I do. Food evokes memories, and when people taste our products, they reminisce about spending time with their family - and that's the best part," said Meriano.
Meriano always had a lot of respect for her father, but those feelings went to a new level when she had to learn how to balance the books as well as create the sweet treats. She says that paying all the bills on time and saving money is crucial. That's when Webster Bank came into the picture.
"Once I started taking over doing the bookkeeping, I felt we needed to switch banks because we wanted more options. My father always handled the books, and used the same accountant and bank for years, but let me switch because it's what I thought was right. Webster has been great, and helped us get through the tough times with financing. Sometimes you need help; you don't want to struggle when there's money available. Maybe it's just an Italian thing that you don't want to take out a loan, but it helped us survive," said Meriano.
Like back in 2008, when the economy tanked and people didn't have the disposable income to spend money on desserts. During that same year, Meriano's mother passed away from melanoma, and then her father became ill with cancer. She and her siblings took turns caring for their dad, which made it really hard to keep the store running. And the money just wasn't coming in. They had to use their personal money and loans to help get
over the hump to keep the store afloat.
"It was more than just a business to us," Meriano said.
The inspiration for the cannoli truck came after seeing a full bakery truck in Manhattan 10 years ago. When she told her ailing father's doctor about the idea, his eyes widened. She knew they had to do something. So they decided to focus on one product to streamline operations, and since their cannoli recipe is their best, the cannoli truck was born.
The truck is more than a dream come true for their business, it is part of what matters most to their family. Since both parents died of cancer, the family donates a portion of the profits to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.
"When people see the Smilow sign on the front of our truck, they open up to us about their personal cancer stories," said Meriano. "They are so touched by what we're doing that it makes me cry all the time. Being able to touch people's lives and give back is what matters most to us."

About Webster

Webster Financial Corporation is the holding company for Webster Bank, N.A. With $22 billion in assets, Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgages, private banking, trust and investment services through 166 banking offices; 311 ATMs; telephone banking; mobile banking; and the Internet. Webster Bank owns the asset based lending firm Webster Business Credit Corporation; the equ ipment finance firm Webster Capital Finance Corporation; and provides health savings account trustee and administrative services through HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank. Member FDIC and equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest annual report, visit the Webster website at www.websterbank.comor follow us on LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/company/webster-bankand Twitter https://twitter.com/WebsterBank.
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