Meet Jenna Leurquin | Pastry Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenna Leurquin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Being from Belgium, I grew up with traditional bakeries around every corner and I always loved a good bread or croissant. When I moved to the US at 17 to attend college, I could not find the quality baked goods I grew up with and started wondering if there would be a demand for such products. I also have always loved baking and wanted to combine my passion with being able to provide high end products to the community. I quickly realized there was a great demand for traditional, authentic and high quality baked goods and we love being to grow a team that shares our passion and concept and provide those products to the community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I founded JL Patisserie to provide high end french patisseries to the community. I grew up in Belgium and always crave our traditional breads, croissants and pastries. I also have always loved baking and cooking. Opening our bakery and starting our business is one of the hardest thing I have ever done. It requires so much more than the ability of making a good croissant (which is already hard on its own). The hardest challenge I have ran across was during our early ages, while we were building the kitchen, purchasing equipment, etc. Very few people took me seriously or tried to take advantage of me. Being a young women in this field, it was very hard to be respected. Now that we have grown and have build a name, it does not happen as often but still a lot more often than one would think. I am very proud of the products that we deliver. Everyday, when I open my doors, I know that what I am offering is the highest quality I could have done. Although not everyone has the same taste buds, a good croissant never lies and I am so proud that we are able to achieve the highest standard of product with high quality ingredients every day. I believe everyone on my team cares about it as much as I do and strive to make the best products possible as well. It is amazing to see people so engaged in delivering outstanding pastries and we appreciate when the customers tell us we have made their day, then we know all of our hard work is enjoyed!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take them hike or golf to start with, make sure we enjoy the nice weather. Food wise, our neighbors Crust brothers have outstanding pizzas, Hana Japanese Eatery and little miss BBQ would definitely be on our list as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everyone we have encountered has played a roll in our story and how we got to were we are. Of course, I couldn’t have done it without the help of my mom, dad and my husband Scott who have been by my side throughout the whole project. Starting and running a business is a roller coaster, with good days, bad days, and everything in between. It requires a tremendous amount of energy and a solid support system makes a huge difference. Then of course our regular customers who continuously come in and refer us to their friends, we love the community we have been able to build around our products and concept.

Website: www.jlpatisserie.com

Instagram: jlpatisserieaz

Twitter: jlpatisserieaz

Facebook: jlpatisserieaz

Yelp: JL Patisserie