Stephanie Bueche was a longtime bartender at The Chimes’ LSU location. There, the Baton Rouge native was routinely pegged for the Monday morning shift, one that isn’t known as the busiest time for grabbing a beer. However, Bueche made the most of the slim pickings and started baking cupcakes, giving them away to the customers who did visit on Mondays. Soon enough, she was getting repeat customers and patrons who were interested in placing orders for cupcakes. Thus, Bueche’s Les Amis Bake Shoppe was born.
Business grew so much that she opened her own retail store last August at 11826 Coursey Blvd. There, customers can place orders for cakes, cake balls, cupcakes, cheesecake and macarons. The shop also features cake and cheesecake by the slice, as well as six types of mini cupcakes with different flavors weekly. If you peruse the shop’s menu, you’ll notice the shop has an abundance of flavors for customers.
|
|
|
“[Flavors are] what we specialize in,” she says. “Honestly, we have so many because I get tired of making straight vanilla. I also enjoy coming up with new and exciting flavors—there’s something very satisfying to turning someone on to a new flavor profile they never would have imagined. ”
She also gets inspiration from ice cream flavors and by keeping up with current foodie trends across the country. She attributes her loyal customer base to that forward-thinking approach to flavors and trends, but she also loves the joy that comes with baking.
“Baking for people is more than just having a cake at a party, it makes everything a celebration,” she says.
Recently, the bakery has picked up more catering business, providing treats for Chef Don Bergeron’s Mid City Market. She also got a good response from a display at this year’s Slow Food Fall Heat, where her dark chocolate salted caramel cupcake topped with candied bacon was a hit.
|
|
|
Bueche isn’t sure what’s next for Les Amis. She’s content to take each step in stride and focus on the happiness she and her employees are giving customers.
“I love seeing someone bite into something we made and having his/her face light up with a smile,” she says. “Someone could be having a terrible day, and just one bite can turn their mood around.”
For more information on Les Amis Bake Shoppe, visit lesamisbakeshoppe.com or the bakery’s Facebook page.