Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Neira.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m from Monterrey, N.L. Mexico, emigrating to Chicago city in 2004, I was born as an artist, started workshops in various disciplines of art, drawing, painting, modeling, ceramics, and textiles when I was just a girl, studied at Academia de Arte-AC and Facultad de Artes Visuales-UNAL, and soon developed a passion for the visual arts and pastry world.
Upon emigrating to Chicago in 2004, I entered the cake industry by landing a job with a prestigious company where I honed techniques of construction and painting using cakes as a canvas. Building on my skills as an artist transforming cakes into works of art, I started launching my own business, Azucar Rococo, in 2012.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was a crazy decision to emigrate with 2 kids, without family, no friends, no money, short English, in a big city, but I believe that everything is possible, I had to risk and I was sure that my talent had to take me to the next level, and then, I saw a website and I fell in love with her products, CHOCOLATE! I sent an email at 1 am, asking for a job, I saw they had a dishwasher open position, She calls me at 6:00 am, I knew they had another thing for me, and yes, at the interview with the owner, a prestigious pastry chef I explain to her my situation, I had no permit to work in the USA, I had 2 kids, and I don’t speak English, she said, “Laura, I speak Spanish, I have a job for you! my head decorator quit, so if you have no experience in cake construction. I’m going to teach you because I need an artist like you next to me” and then, the universe opened the door for me in the pastry world.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Azucar Rococo story. Tell us more about the business.
Azucar Rococo is a pastry and dessert bakery specialize in handcrafted custom cakes for all types of life’s events, we’re working for all the communities, baking any kind of cakes, we have no limits to create, from the smallest to the monumental, to the simple to the realistic, we turn any kind of idea into a cake.
We specialize in wedding cakes, groom’s cakes, 3D cakes, birthday, anniversaries, corporate, bachelor, unique X-rate custom cakes, divorce, etc.
We’re baking from scratch with fresh and quality ingredients also, our flavor list cake – filling is huge!
Love to play with textures and color.
Tasting-consultation is available only by appointment.
Delivery available from local to 200 radius, we transport cakes with additional cost by special courier (me and my hubby) to ensure the order is perfectly safe, we’re baking also a few savory items.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m thankful to be so lucky, I have a wonderful family, lucky to have lovely friends and customers, lucky to do what I like. And lucky to be a happy person.
Pricing:
- Azucar Rococo signature/abstracto or simple buttercream cakes starting from $ 45.00 (6″ diameter )
- Custom cakes starting from $ 125.00
- wedding cake starting $ 6.50 per slice. (semi-naked and baked cakes. no includes flowers or cake topper)
- 3D cakes starting $ 12.00 per slice (depending on the design and hours of construction, some take hours even days)
- Cultura pop/Azucar Rococo signature sugar cookie is $ 3.50 each (order minimum 12 pieces)
- Wedding Cake tasting for 2 people starting $ 28.00 (basic tasting, 5 combo flavor cake-filling)
Contact Info:
- Address: 9416 W Irving Park Rd. Schiller Park, Illinois 60176
- Website: www.azucarrococo.com
- Phone: 773-799-1845
- Email: hello@azucarrococo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/azucarrococo instagram.com/azucarrococo_laneistudio
- Facebook: facebook.com/azucarrococo
Image Credit:
Olga Lopez Photography, Luis Jahn Photography, Laura Neira
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