ABOUT US

Bienvenido! Welcome! Bienvenue! 

Welcome to Lucía Patisserie & Café, a charming neighborhood bakery nestled in the heart of Miramar, Puerto Rico. Since 2017, we have been dedicated to serving our community with artisanal French-inspired pastries, while celebrating the richness of local ingredients and flavors.

Founded by Lucía Merino and Johan Villafañe, Lucía Patisserie was born from a shared passion for the art of baking. It’s a simple, yet heartfelt story: two individuals deeply in love with pastries—one with a passion for creating them, and the other with an insatiable love for enjoying them. Together, we’ve combined our expertise and love for food to craft exceptional treats that bring joy and comfort to every bite.

At Lucía Patisserie, we believe in the power of good food to connect people and create memories, one pastry at a time.

Nuestra Historia - Our Story 

Lucía Merino is a highly trained Pastry Chef with over 20 years of experience in the culinary industry. She studied Baking & Pastry Arts and Food & Beverage Management at Johnson & Wales University. Her career spans a diverse range of experiences, from managing catering operations (where she was underpaid for peeling mountains of potatoes and deveining endless buckets of shrimp), to developing dessert menus for fine dining restaurants, and even leading pastry teams at prestigious hotels like The Ritz Carlton Hotels in Key Biscayne, The St. Regis Resort in Bal Harbour, and The Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.

Johan Villafañe, equally experienced, has worked both front- and back-of-house in places like Jean George and other respected places in the culinary world. Together, they dreamed of opening a bakery that would reflect their shared passion for exceptional pastries and create a place where their community could gather and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Their journey took them through vibrant cities like Miami, Madrid, Barcelona, and Dallas, where they gained invaluable experiences that would eventually shape their vision for their own neighborhood patisserie.

After years of planning and perseverance, Lucía and Johan launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their dream—despite having limited resources. Their loyal friends, family, and early supporters helped them secure a new lease and basic kitchen equipment. They spent months meticulously renovating their space and fulfilling special orders, and finally, in late 2017, they opened the doors of Lucía Patisserie—just months after Hurricane María had devastated Puerto Rico. The timing was far from ideal, but Lucía and Johan felt a deep honor in being able to serve their community during such a challenging and emotional time.

Now, 8 years later, their small bakery has grown beyond its original humble space. In 2023, they moved a couple of blocks from their original location and now operate from this new bigger space while leading a talented team of passionate professionals who share in their mission to delight and satisfy their loyal customers. Every day, they continue to push boundaries to create new, delicious offerings that keep their neighborhood coming back for more.

Lucía and Johan have been partners in life and professionally since 2010. When they’re not stretching layers of croissant dough or finalizing menu plans, they love exploring the island on road trips, going to the beach, play tennis, spend time with their family & dog. Three times a year, Lucía Patisserie closes its doors for a couple of weeks, giving the team paid time off to allow them to take some well-deserved rest and recharge.

Our Mission

At Lucía Patisserie, our mission is to provide a comforting and memorable experience for every customer. We are dedicated to crafting exceptional baked goods using the finest ingredients, infusing each creation with care and passion. Our goal is to bring joy and delight through our food, fostering lasting connections with our community for years to come.

We are equally committed to creating meaningful work opportunities, empowering our team, and maintaining fair wages. As we grow, we continuously strive to improve our sustainability practices, ensuring a positive impact on both our local environment and the future of our business.