Meet Michelle Martinez Xochitl Cruz-Ortiz | Co-owners of La Conversation Bakery

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Martinez Xochitl Cruz-Ortiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle Martinez, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The inspiration for starting the business was the customers’ love and the sense of community built around this little neighborhood café.

Michelle:

I grew up in a bakery on Hillhurst Ave in Los Feliz called La Conversation, where my mom worked as a baker. I recall from a very young age the owners, Steve and Michael, allowing me to go to “work” with my mom and flipping star cookies in sugar.
When La Conversation relocated to West Hollywood in the early 90’s many of the customers from the Los Feliz neighborhood regularly visited the new café. La Conversation quickly became a staple in the community.
All my family, at some point worked at La Conversation. My mom and aunt worked there when it first opened in Los Feliz in 1982 until the day the West Hollywood location closed on January 20, 2019. We are very grateful to Steve and Michael for sharing their knowledge and many years of friendship.

After 37 years in business the café had an extensive loyal customer base. My aunt Nubia developed great relationships with customers, and she became the face of the business. My mom Guadalupe was the pastry chef that customers so much appreciated.

The last day the bakery was open, many customers were asking for my mom and aunt’s personal contact information. In the weeks following the closure of the café, customers asked my mom and my aunt to continue baking the wonderful pastries. Customers said it was part of their family traditions to celebrate with a pear tart or one of the other many delicious items on the menu.

My mom and aunt are not business minded and did not know how to manage the growing demand. I decided to help them build a system to better serve the growing number of customers. After two years of steady growth, I saw the true potential the brand carried. As the business grew, it became more and more challenging to meet the demand. I needed help and a person I could trust. I often confided in my cousin, Xochitl, about the challenges I was facing. She was often my sounding board so when she approached me to become partners, it was an obvious choice for me.

Xochitl:

I grew up knowing my aunt was a talented baker. Every milestone from first birthday to graduation to wedding, was celebrated with a cake made by my aunt Lupita.

In early 2019 I was in full preparation for my wedding when I received the call from Michelle to tell me that La Conversation was closing. My heart dropped, but Michelle told me not to panic that my aunt could still make my wedding cake. I could not imagine my special day without my Lupita cake and the famous macadamia heart favors for the guests.
Shortly after my wedding, Michelle shared the news that they had secured the name “La Conversation” from the original owner, Steve, and they were officially reestablishing the business.

I knew what an important milestone this was. I was so excited that my family had decided to seize the opportunity to use their talent and build something of their own.

In mid-2020 I decided to leave my corporate job and I was taking some time off to figure out what my next step should be. Michelle would often reach out to bounce off ideas. She would share her challenges and successes. It was exciting to see, and I would find myself wanting to be more involved in the business. In January of 2021 I decided that I wanted to be a part of the adventure and approached Michelle with the idea to become partners.

Michelle:

We have grown despite many challenges and the pandemic, and we owe it all to our amazing customers. The love and support they express to us daily are what gives us the motivation to push forward. Many of our customers enjoy sharing their history with La Conversation, and they, like me have grown up inside the little neighborhood café. Their encouragement and excitement for us to open a new location is a constant reminder of what we can accomplish.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a boutique French bakery. For us, baking is a labor of love. Everything is made fresh to order, by hand with simple ingredients. When customers order from us, we make each item with that customer in mind, creating a lasting personal connection. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and providing a quality product.

Our pastries are delicious as well as visually enticing. Which has been a challenge to showcase since we do not have a store front location. When you walk into a bakery you first eat with your eyes, browsing the assortment in the display case is what feeds your appetite. To overcome this, we are trying our hand at social media. While social media marketing doesn’t come naturally, we have been organically building our online community by sharing authentic photos of pastries made for actual customers.

Our goal is to open a retail bakery and café. When we sit down and plan what it will take to get there, it is a daunting task. However, we have found solutions that are steppingstones to where we want to be. For now, we operate from a commercial kitchen and deliver directly to our customers. You may have seen our beautiful van driving around town.

As a family business, we are most proud of the collective effort and have learned that mentorship is a fundamental building block of our business. Each member has specific talents and plays an essential role in how we operate. We share our knowledge and skills with each other to ensure we give the customer the best experience. We want to continue serving the community that has supported us for so many years.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When we have visitors in town, we don’t do the typical LA tourist spots. We like to show them places where the locals go. For a sweet cup of coffee, we are stopping by Tierra Mia. On a hot day, an Horchata Frap is my go-to. Our first stop on our adventure is a leisurely hike through the old LA Zoo trail. My out-of-town friends always enjoy catching a glimpse of the old animal enclosures. It is amazing to see how much modern zoos have changed.

After working up an appetite, Grand Central Market is the ideal spot for lunch. There are so many options to choose from. No meal is complete without dessert, which would lead us to the Placita Olvera for churros or fruit cups. I love strolling through the colorful merchant stands and taking in the history of our city. We would finish our day at the Griffith Park Observatory enjoying the views of the city and star gazing.

Los Angeles offers so many things to do, it would be difficult to see it all in a week. I would not let my friends leave without paying a visit to the impressive Getty Museum, a beautiful seaside brunch at Geoffrey’s Malibu, or at Christmas time, Descanso Gardens when it transforms into the Enchanted Forest of Lights.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Guadalupe Errais and Nubia Cruz for all their hard work.
Steve Carson and Michael Carmona for their mentorship of Guadalupe and Nubia.
To our families for their unconditional support.

Website: www.laconversationbakery.com

Instagram: la_conversation_bakery

Facebook: La conversation