Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Yee.
Hi Jennifer, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley city of Monterey Park. I attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, CA and after graduating, I moved to New York and worked in pastry at Gilt and Jean-Georges. After missing the sunny weather, I moved back to California and worked at Craftsman and Wolves, Bouchon Bakery, and French Laundry in the Bay Area. Knowing that I wanted to make steps towards owning my own bakery in LA, I took the pastry chef role at Konbi in Echo Park and really learned the finer details of croissants there.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting a business is not a smooth road. There are so many acronyms, laws, licenses, and financial info that I still don’t fully understand, and still get FTB, CDFTA, SOS, and EIN all confused… I actually have a little book of notes that I’ve been keeping just to help me out.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m best known for my vegan croissants and pastries and am proud of them! Some people can’t even tell they’re vegan, and most of my guests aren’t vegan. When someone says, “I don’t even like vegan food, but these croissants are the best” I feel like that is a great compliment.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to open my brick-and-mortar location in Spring 2024. This was made possible by funding that I received from LISC LA’s Asset Building for Communities of Color (ABC) program, which is funded by donations from Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund. My brick-and-mortar is a goal I’ve been working towards for 12 years!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bakersbenchla.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakers.bench/
Image Credits
First Photo is Alexis Gross
