Top Phoenix bakery and pastry shop debuts new location this weekend

Much like making a croissant with long-fermented sourdough, finding the right location for a business takes time. So it came as bit of a surprise to Jenna Leurquin, owner of James Beard-nominated JL Patisserie, when she found the perfect location for a third bakery in less time than it takes to make a batch of her beloved pastries.

“I was looking to expand my production, so we started looking around for a bigger kitchen. One day I said, ‘Why don't we start looking?’ and the next day, we found our building,” Leurquin says.

Located on 24th Street, just south of Sky Harbor Airport in the former Sam’s Diner to Go storefront, the new location will house the bakery’s main production kitchen and a retail site.

After signing the lease last summer, Leurquin is finally ready to welcome customers. A grand opening celebration will take place this weekend from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Guests will receive free beignets and tea with each purchase, while supplies last, and have the chance to win tickets to a baking class. There will also be new flavors of classic hybrid desserts, like a Dubai chocolate cruffin and a croissant cookie.

Following the opening weekend, the menu will mirror the uptown Phoenix and Scottsdale locations, with savory quiches, delicate macarons and impossibly flaky viennoiserie. There are also some original creations, like the pistachio white chocolate chunky cookies — one of Leurquin’s favorite menu items.

“It has salted caramel inside with roasted pistachios. It’s the perfect balance of gooey and crunchy,” she says.

Recently, Leurquin added sandwiches to the menus, which will now be available at all three locations. Expect flavors like prosciutto mozzarella and chicken curry. This savory-sweet flavor combination features a yellow curry chicken salad made with onions, apricots and golden raisins, layered with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on freshly baked Vienna bread.

“I realized I needed to offer some lunch options for whoever used to come to the diner for lunch,” she says.

Leurquin’s in-demand baking classes will remain at her Scottsdale location, where she’s held them since 2019. There, participants learn how to make many of JL Patisserie’s popular items like baguettes, macaroons and croissants. The classes help Leurquin foster a deeper relationship with her customers.

“Most people don’t realize making croissants takes a long time,” she says. “The class helps them appreciate the process.”

Leurquin remains committed to not taking shortcuts and using old-fashioned fermentation techniques, praising her team’s remarkable dedication to seeing out her vision. It’s not uncommon for staff to start their shifts at 11 p.m. the night before to help get things ready for the next day and supervise the sometimes unpredictable sourdough base.

“We can start baking at 2 a.m., but sometimes we’re still waiting for it to be ready to go,” Leurquin says. “That's what happens when you use natural and artisanal recipes.”

While she’s never thought of baking any other way, Leurquin said it was nice to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation. In 2023, JL Patisserie was a semifinalist in the outstanding bakery category, a first for the business and for Leurquin.

“What I really appreciated about the James Beard (Foundation) is they specifically want to recognize artisanal methods — it’s not just about running a successful business,” Leurquin says. “The extra work that we do take is being seen and valued, and I think it just reinforced to us that we’re doing things right as chefs."

JL Patisserie

2601 S. 24th St.
Opening Saturday, March 1
7 a.m. - 2 p.m.