LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A new patisserie in Lexington, open for a few short months, is already expanding its menu beyond sweet treats. In light of recent attacks against the AAPI community, Laura Lou Patisserie is serving up a weekly fundraiser for social justice.
"Make the pastries, build the business, and start using that to help others, " owner Laura Clay said of her vision for her bakery Laura Lou Patisserie.
The colorful creations and flaky, buttery treats behind the counter are from the mind of Clay. For the most part, she is a self-taught baker with a heart for giving back.
"The goofiest part is some of the ideas really come to me while I'm sleeping," Clay said.
Clay opened her shop inside Lexington's Greyline Station in November. She said the culture inside the former bus station hit the sweet spot for her.
"Being part of this giant, shared space that all has one goal to bring people here and to uplift the community has just been phenomenal," Clay said.
The goal was always to have activism baked into her own shop but considering recent violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, Clay decided the time to act was now. The patisserie is doing so in the form of something called Social Justice Sundays.
"So, we do 10% every Sunday. 10% of our total sales. So, I total everything up that we sold for the weekend, run the system, and I take 10% and donate it to the charity," Clay said.
The goal is to continue this movement every Sunday from now on. This Sunday the cause they are supporting is Asian Americans Advancing Justice. With two Social Justice Sundays already under her belt, Clay has been heartened to see this is something her customer base is just as passionate about as she is.
"They came in and said, 'Thank you for doing this; we're so excited that's why we're here,'" Clay said of her customers. "It's just another affirmation that this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and this is where I'm supposed to be doing it."
