Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef Cindy Kruse.
Cindy is an American Pastry Chef who has been making people happy with her delicious desserts for over 20 years. After graduating from Boston University with a Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in 1990, Cindy studied at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Upon graduation, Cindy became part of the opening team for Wolfgang Pucks’ Spago in Las Vegas. The year was 1992.
In the next decade, Cindy worked with some of the best chefs in the United States including Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, Charlie Palmer and Jean Georges Vongerichten, mentors she credits for her culinary philosophy and overall success.
In 2003, Cindy was tapped by then boss, Charlie Palmer, of Aureole fame to co-create the desserts for the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. To this day, Cindy remembers that event as “not only one of the hardest, but most rewarding experiences of my culinary career”.
In the summer of 2005, Cindy became the Executive Pastry Chef at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami. Upon closing of the resort for renovation, Cindy worked for the famed Barton G, where she oversaw all the catering and restaurant dessert production for two years.
Cindy’s latest position was at Gigi in Midtown Miami, where her desserts and cookies received rave reviews.
Cindy has been featured in the Wine Spectator, Gourmet, People and Pastry Arts Magazine. Her delicious desserts are the result of her great love of everything sweet.
Has it been a smooth road?
They say that when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. Although, that may ring true for us, the loving what you do part, in the end, it is a business that needs to be profitable in order to survive.
Starting a business from scratch is no easy task, no matter how much you love it.
For us, the baking was the easy part. The road became bumpy when the construction began, no pun intended. Dealing with the city for permits and licenses was very frustrating, not to mention the financial stresses that were caused by so many delays. In the end, it all seemed to work itself out, just in time for the real work to begin, which was opening our doors.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Cindy Lou’s Cookies is an All-American cookie shop specializing in old fashioned seriously delicious cookies that are intended to warm the heart and nourish the soul. The smells in our shop will take you back to when you were 10 years old. And just as important as our quality and integrity of our product, is our customer satisfaction. Our mission is to make people happy. This is not just what we do but it’s who we are and that is what sets us apart from the rest.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Nowadays, it seems like small businesses are booming all over. The artisanal, local movement is so in and it seems to be changing Miami for the better. For many years, I have thought that Miami needed more in terms of good food, variety and options. There is so much opportunity for a business like mine in Miami and the timing couldn’t be better.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7320 NE 2ND Avenue
Miami, FL 33138 - Website: Cindylouscookies.com
- Phone: 305-456-8585
- Email: cindy@cindylouscookies.com
- Instagram: Cindylouscookies
- Facebook: Cindy Lou’s Cookies
- Twitter: Cindylouscookie
- Yelp: Cindy Lou’s Cookies
Image Credit:
Gary James @garydrj
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