I’ve been going back to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse a lot since they first opened and I don’t mind looking like a bit of a stalker. Peering through a window at an unsuspecting resident is never acceptable, but when it’s to an array of pastries and desserts one might not report it to the cops. In all the times that I’ve made my way back to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse I’ve been lucky to try one delicious item after another. And if I went to the shop on a day that closely followed a visit to church, then chances are I shared my food with someone else.

But this post isn’t about how the food tasted.

While I could go over the ways in which Mr. Holmes Bakehouse creates and serves delicious pastries, I don’t want to do that. Yes their donuts are still fluffy, their croissants are still flaky, and their iced lattes can still get me through the day without snapping on anyone before 10am. However, I now have a new narrative to tell about Mr. Holmes Bakehouse that is only enhanced by the items on display.

Let’s hit rewind for this story.

Last year I got to know Mr. Holmes Bakehouse on various visits where each time I would leave with crumbs on my face. In the time where I was diving into the pastry filled white boxes I started doing public speaking about social media, blogging, and following your dream. I would speak at high schools, at The Reef in Downtown LA, and even at the Microsoft headquarters in Santa Monica and each event has been extremely valuable to me. As corny as this may sound the high schools were the most rewarding because it’s so challenging to connect with and impress students! But, every time I stepped onto a school and spoke to students I found myself nervous, but getting better.

Here’s where Mr. Holmes comes in.

During a visit to speak at Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School in Boyle Heights, I got the idea to have the students not only hear what it’s like to be a food photographer but to be one themselves. I was eager to bring in food that would last throughout class, was delicious, and would photograph well. That ruled out anything I had in my kitchen so cereal, boiled eggs, and water were not an option. I then scanned my brain for restaurants I’ve visited that might be ideal and immediately Mr. Holmes came to mind. It didn’t take long to get the gumption to reach out to a contact at the restaurant to make the plea. A quick email back and the shop enthusiastically agreed to feed all the students in the class. On the day of the event, I made my way to the Highland Park location and to my surprise, they exceeded any expectation I could have had leading up to this point! Out of the Mr. Holmes Bakehouse kitchen and to my hands were boxes on boxes on boxes full of croissants, cruffins, donuts, and cookies. I was floored!

Arriving to the school and needing help to carry in the bags of boxes to the school’s highest achieving students was so much fun. Their eyes were wide as they saw the food and their excitement as they pulled out their phones to take pictures was so rewarding. I was beyond thankful that Mr. Holmes responded to my email request with so much openness because it was all for incredible students. The shop could have ignored my email or simply said no, but they didn’t. Instead, they gave so selflessly to a school that wasn’t necessarily close to their location and that was ok to them. They held the same concern that I had and were focused on giving to such deserving smart and creative young adults.

Let’s go back to today.

I went back to the shop a few weeks ago and was more than happy to have the pastries that I love. Sitting in the shop it was so easy to reflect on the time that Mr. Holmes arrived in Los Angeles and what it has been like to visit them. They have beautiful photo-friendly locations and delicious pastries worth a wait in line. However, to add to their long list of positive attributes, it is essential that you understand that the restaurant is incredibly giving. Not many places would do what Mr. Holmes did especially considering that the school isn’t in the closest proximity to any of their locations. To see the happiness of the faces of the students and that Mr. Holmes was the reason for it brought so much joy to me and I’m pretty sure it made my speech even better!

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Address: 111 S Ave 59, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Phone: (323) 739-0473
Hours: Monday through Friday – 6:30am to 4:00pm, and Saturday & Sunday – 8:00am to 4:00pm
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