When Sucré was originally opened in 2007, Ayesha Motwani was
pregnant with her first child. She and her husband had three more children over
the years as they became ever more loyal customers to the sweet shop. Then the
family learned the sad news. "We were so disheartened to learn that our
favorite family sweet spot had closed and would not be a part of our future
memories," Ayesha remembered. Sucré permanently shuttered in 2019 amid scandal and
financial losses. "The sexual harassment and exploitation of Sucré employees
were shocking and reprehensible to me as well. So was the abrupt disclosure,
leaving all those employees jobless without warning."
That was when Ayesha decided that she would resurrect and revive
Sucré herself. In December 2020, the doors of the original Sucré at 3025 Magazine Street opened under
her ownership. "My role has really been focused on the rebrand and redesign of
Sucré. It was important to me to refashion it and give it a rebirth that felt
true to its essence but was also a reflection of myself. I work closely with
Ashley McMillan, our Executive Pastry Chef, on our menu options so that we are
always on the same page and stay attuned to what our customers are craving.
Now, I just love being in the store and behind the counter seeing our customers
smile in sweet delight with every bite!"
Chef Ashley McMillian worked at the original Sucré for some
years. Being a huge fan of Sucré's delicacies, Ayesha felt that her new sweet
shop would thrive under Ashley's control. Ayesha said, "Ashley is one of the
best pastry chefs in our city. Her reputation exceeds her and I knew Sucré couldn't
succeed without her. Her knowledge, creativity, and abilities helps take Sucré
to the next level which was an important goal for me. And because of her past
experience with Sucré, I knew that she would be indispensable in teaching me
what worked and what needed to evolve in the new Sucré."
Despite being in the same location with the same chef, this
iteration of Sucré isn't an exact copy of its predecessor; one big change is
that most of the staff is female. Ayesha continued to say, "We are really
focused on quality right now, making sure that we are not growing too fast and
can make sure that our 500th king cake tastes as good as our first. I know
people are disappointed that we aren't shipping yet, but it's important to us
to ensure we are building a strong foundation with our first store, that our
team is confident and excited to be a part of our brand, and that our customers
are happy and coming back for more." Sucré will eventually ship locally and nationally.
There's also a plan to reopen the beloved French Quarter location which used to
house the Salon by Sucré restaurant later this year.
Ayesha also wants to add more variety to the ingredients in
the products that Sucré is putting out. "I am a health freak and love exploring
alternative flours, milks and sugars. I also want to appeal to all those
children who have so many allergies these days and offer them desserts that are
as beautiful and delicious as any others in our store. Right now, we have vegan
gelatos, a vegan chocolate loaf, and Ashley is taking continuing education
courses to gain a better understanding of how to recreate our signature
cream-filled entremets in a vegan alternative. Stay tuned!"
Ayesha would like to invite all New Orleans citizens to come
back to Sucré to sample old favorites and brand-new specialties. "This a new
Sucré with a new team who are focusing on all that was positive about the brand
and leaving the rest behind. I'm a minority female who simply wanted to bring
back a dessert boutique that holds a sentimental place in so many of our
hearts."
