Chicago’s creative community is overflowing with collaborative couples whose partnerships traverse life and work. Since July’s theme is Collaborate, we asked  Sandra & Mathieu Holl, the tastemakers behind local café and bakery Floriole to grace the Creative Mornings stage.

Here’s a few tidbits about the pair from Sandra to whet your appetite. 

What drives your desire to create?
Creating new items keeps my job interesting and challenging. It is an outlet to challenge myself, try new flavors and combination. I am also competitive with myself (and others) and enjoy creating a better version of a pastry. 

How does Chicago influence you or your work?
Chicago has a strong food scene with a lot of heavy hitters but still seems to lag behind in terms of pastry. By no means am I stating that Chicago does not have amazing pastry chefs and bakers—I just don’t feel like Chicago is a town that loves and appreciates pastry.  I hope to create great pastry and desserts that remind people that there is more to eating than just meat and potatoes. I want Chicagoans to get comfortable with making pastry an affordable little luxury in their lives. 

What are you most proud of, professionally or otherwise?
Mathieu and I are so proud that we started our business as a stand at the Green City Market and were able to grow it into what it is today. We are happy that we are a place where people are proud to work, a place where people can learn and grow. 

What does this month’s theme—Collaborate—mean to you?
Collaborate has so many meanings at Floriole. Mathieu and I collaborate on many projects at the bakery, we collaborate with our employees, with the farmers we work with, and with other businesses. Collaboration is being open to working as a team and recognizing that we are more than the sum of our parts when we work together. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of the kitchen?
Outside of the kitchen, Mathieu and I love working in the garden, riding bikes with our daughter and relaxing at home.

Join us on July 24th to hear Sandra & Mathieu share their story—and some of their delicious pastries!

Cheers!
Rusty