Last week reader Brad H. first reported here that a bakery is coming 3524 State Street, the former home of Mad Lu that closed last September after 27 years in business. He now says that La Gourmandise Handcrafted Pastries and Desserts is the new tenant. Co-owner Cecile Mattray Dumonceau tells me that work started last January and that they are moving equipment in this week for wholesale operations and that retail offerings will be coming later when permitting is completed.
Leslie Dinaberg at the Santa Barbara Independent reported last year that La Gourmandise, launched in fall 2024, and produces pastries and desserts for events, cafés, and private customers, with an emphasis on small-scale production and consistency. The business is led by pastry chef Yannick Dumonceau, who began working in his uncle’s shop in Lyon and later trained under Meilleur Ouvrier de France chef Patrick Chevallot. His career has included time in France, Australia, and Bora Bora, along with a seven-year stint at the three-Michelin-star L’Ambroisie in Paris. After moving to California, Dumonceau worked in San Francisco, including as executive pastry chef at Quince, before relocating to Santa Barbara in 2021 to join the Rosewood Miramar.
Dinaberg says that La Gourmandise now operates as a family-run business with Dumonceau handling production and his wife, Cecile Mattray Dumonceau, managing operations. Their young son is often present in the kitchen as well. The company produces a range of items, including croissants, macarons, tarts, éclairs, and custom cakes, many of which are supplied to local coffee shops and hospitality clients. Early support from Handlebar Coffee Roasters, which provided kitchen access during off-hours, helped the business get started. Current clients include several local cafés, as well as airport and private aviation catering. Visit lagourmandisesb.com…