About Us
Welcome to Tomodachi Bake Shoppe!
I was professionally trained in pastry and baking and am borderline obsessed with creating beautiful pastries. Years ago, I was going to school to get my degree in chemistry and had a side hustle making cakes for some extra money. I always had a nagging thought of going to pastry school, but never pulled the trigger until a family tragedy occurred. It was then I realized that life is short and you should do what you love.
So I did some research and enrolled in pastry school 2 months before it was supposed to start, moving from Utah to San Francisco with one oversized piece of luggage. Best decision ever. It was in San Francisco that the world of food opened and my passion for baking really grew. With the knowledge I gained from working the dessert station in Michelin fine dining, to then moving to Utah and working in bakeries, I am well rounded in all things pastry.
You may have noticed the name of our bakery and wondered what it means. “Tomodachi” means friends in Japanese. What better way to create memories and meet new people than through food? Bring one of our cakes to a large gathering and you are sure to make new friends! You may also notice a lot of Japanese and Asian ingredients in our baked goods, which is in part due to my mother and grandmother. I wanted to show Salt Lake City some of the wonderful Japanese flavors i grew up with. I like combining asian flavors with traditional French baking techniques, to create unique pastries.
Most importantly I wanted to create a positive work space that will help foster creativity. The restaurant and food industry is notorious for exploiting its workers and for the misogyny that runs rampant throughout restaurants. Having experienced this first hand many times throughout my time in the industry, it is time for change. The food industry has a lot of work to do and I want to facilitate growth within it, not contribute to an archaic view of how restaurants and bakeries have been.
Thank you for being part of my baking journey!