Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Adekoya.
Hi Lara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After graduating from the University of Southern California in 2015, I worked for Nordstrom at the Grove. I had a very successful career at Nordstrom and was known for being both digitally enabled and “customer obsessed.” I was consistently recognized as one of the highest-performing employees at Nordstrom, demonstrating outstanding sales results while nurturing over 100 personal client relationships. On my days off, you could find me at home in the kitchen. I have always loved to bake and cook; it’s my love language and I enjoy nurturing others through food.
In the face of the Covid-19 Pandemic and with more time at home with family and friends, I was inspired to follow my passion for cooking and community. In April 2020, I created Fleurs et Sel, a locally owned baking company that makes sweet treats in small batches.
In the early days of Quarantine, I would bake and deliver cookies to my close friends and loyal Nordstrom customers as a way to reconnect with them. We were all seeking comfort and human connection, especially in light of the “stay at home orders” and Covi-19 related restrictions. It didn’t take long for the word to spread about my business and soon enough, long lines of loyal cookie customers formed outside of my building. Everyone wanted to try the cookies and share in the growth and journey of Fleurs et Sel.
Almost a year later, I am still baking up a storm and am happy to share that I am transforming the baking industry with a digital-first approach and a sharp focus on giving each customer a beautiful and personalized experience. I am excited to keep spreading the Fleurs et Sel love with the Los Angeles community through brand partnerships, Pop-Ups, community outreach and more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Fleurs et Sel has been a journey filled with lots of surprises, road-bumps, highs and lows. That is to be expected. Starting a business in the middle of a Pandemic with limited resources, no brick-and-mortar, Covid related safety restrictions (to name a few) has been challenging. However, it has definitely challenged me to be creative and always think outside of the box!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The business is called Fleurs et Sel – which means Flowers and Salt in French. Fleurs et Sel is a small, minority-owned bakeshop that makes Sweet Treats in Small Batches. We are known for making the Best Cookies in Los Angeles!
We have a variety of flavors, including a Sea Salt Chocolate Chip, Vanilla Bean Sugar, Funfetti Birthday Cake to name a few. Everything that we do is centered around our core values: Cookies, Compassion and Community.
We are very proud of the community that we have created and the compassion that we continue to feel from one customer to the next. Our hope is to simply change the way you think about cookies. Our products are thoughtfully made in small batches. Always baked fresh every morning.
The best way to order cookies is to connect with us on Instagram (@fleursetsel) or stay connected via our website (www.fleursetsel.com); we have cookie drops once a week, where we offer a curated selection of our most popular flavors. Cookies are available to pick up in downtown Culver City, and we bake in small batches with limited order capacity!
Stay connected + we look forward to having you join our cookie community!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I lived in France in highschool, and am mixed; my father is Nigerian and my mother is Japanese. I am very proud of my cultural background and happy to say that Fleurs et Sel is minority owned, black & asian owned business.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@fleursetsel.com
- Website: www.fleursetsel.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fleursetsel
Image Credits:
Lara Adekoya
