NEW ORLEANS – Semita Mamita, a five-week pop-up panadería, has opened at Ayu Bakehouse.
Led by Bella McDow, the winner of the Ayu Schoolhouse pitch competition, Semita Mamita is a blend of Latin-American desserts with a Southern spin – a reflection of McDow’s own experience after being born in the U.S. and growing up in El Salvador, never feeling like she truly belonged to one culture. Think: chicken boudin empanadas next to handmade conchas, afternoon cafecitos and pitch-perfect pumpkin spice horchata.
Ayu Schoolhouse is an innovative employee benefit meant to help bakery employees understand the ins and outs of running their own food business. Owners Kelly Jacques and Samantha Weiss will effectively turn Ayu into an incubator, providing mentorship and overhead for the duration while Bella profits.
Semita Mamita will be open after hours at Ayu (801 Frenchmen St.) from 4:30-7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, through Nov. 2.
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