One recent sunny afternoon found me inside one of the best patisseries and bakeries in Scottsdale and Phoenix: JL Patisserie. While there, I interviewed the magnetic Jenna Leurquin and took some photos of her delectable treats. As I tried to stay out of the way and let the staff attend to the needs of the many customers, I noticed a gentleman who walked in with a large plastic bag, intoxicating Italian scents wafting from within. He walked to the cash register and handed over the package to a confused cashier. He told her it was one of his favorite Italian sandwiches from a nearby restaurant and he felt they needed to have it, adding, “You bring so much joy to my day that I’d like to share some joy with you.”
And that is when it struck me. This is not only a story about Leurquin, a Belgian golf pro who excelled in two majors at an American university while on a golf scholarship. It isn’t about how she then earned a culinary degree from the Cordon Bleu in Paris before returning to the states to marry her college boyfriend. It goes deeper than writing about how the duo opened two pastry shops in Phoenix with immediate success, and how JL Patisserie earned the coveted James Beard semi-finalist nod for Best Bakery in 2022. While these are impressive accomplishments, I would argue that the story of JL Patisserie is about how their service, hospitality, and food have earned a legion of intensely loyal customers.
Looking through my notes, I realized this customer focus and the loyalty JL Patisserie engendered was a common thread throughout our interview. While Jenna opened JL Patisserie to recreate the beloved croissants enjoyed by Europeans, her wish was for her customers to learn the craft as well. To that end, JL Patisserie hosts frequent baking classes showing students how to produce macarons, éclairs, croissants, and baguettes (to name a few examples).
Leurquin tells me, “You need to know what you’re looking for and the little secrets and cues that make a big impact. People are amazed at their ability to make a croissant …Also, I get to share my tricks, stories, and passion, and really have this connection with the community. Most of them are my customers and they get to know me, and we just cook together.” If this sounds fun, she also encourages participants to bring their spouse, to crack open du vin and get to know each other.
If the classes don’t work with your schedule, there are other ways to partake. Leurquin offers private classes—think bridal, bachelorette, or corporate parties—as well as a take-home Bake Collection of croissants, cinnamon rolls, and breads that you can finish baking in the comfort of your home. Leurquin says, “It’s one thing to go to a bakery and buy fresh croissants, but it’s another to have the experience of baking it at home. We set them up so all you do essentially is bake them. The house smells good, you can involve the kids in baking it, and it’s a higher quality than you find in any grocery store.”
You could also feel the impact Jenna has on her employees. There is almost something motherly about it, and a sign of leadership that motivates a team to wake up at 3 am to prepare the day’s delicacies. When not working in the bakery, she seems to be in constant motion, encouraging those around her to take advantage of every minute of the day. “I grew up with that kind of mentality and [I think] the busier the person, the more things you can manage on your plate…At the end of the day if I ask my team members, ‘hey let’s go out and play pickle ball’, and they say they are tired, I say, ‘it will be fun, even if for just 30 minutes.’ ”
Running two bakeries limits Jenna’s time on the course to just a few days a year. Regardless—and this will make many a golfer jealous—she still maintains a two handicap. Très impressionnante!
7342 E Shea Blvd #108, Scottsdale
4700 N. Central Ave, Ste. 121, Phoenix
For more information on classes, the Bake Collection, and summer kids’ camp, see the website at www.jlpatisserie.com
written & photographed by: marci symington