Deep-rooted and transplanted hospitality traditionS
- Sophie Hauville
- Apr 5
- 4 min read
Carmel Pine Cone
April 5, 2025
By TULLAH MCCOLL
THEY WERE worlds apart before opening up shops not far from one another in Carmel Valley Village, with similar hopes of bringing people, cultures and food together in a welcoming environment for all.
Although they have different backgrounds, Analuisa Bejar from Mexico City and Sophie Hauville from Normandy, France, each came to the Monterey Peninsula with a dream and was pleasantly surprised by Carmel Valley locals who generously welcomed them into the community.
Having known and loved the area - and the idea of starting her own small
business here — Bejar obtained a small investor visa and arrived in Carmel Valley in May 2022. Her brother suggested the location, as he’s lived and worked in the United States for years and been a regular visitor to the Monterey Peninsula. She began to create an inviting space for people to enjoy quality food and be surrounded by good people. She decided to call it Sunny Bakery Café.
“I changed the name to Sunny Bakery for a few reasons,” explained Bejar.
“One, because the Carmel Valley is always sunny. It is also important we have a sunny disposition, my family name is Solar, and our weekend home in Mexico was called Casa de Sol. It just made sense.”
Working together
Bejar has extensive culinary experience, not limited to the kitchen. For a decade in Mexico City, she wrote as food critic, developed recipes, did editing for various well-known publications and helped edit books on making pastry. However, her passion is best shown in her delightful baked goods that are adored by many.
Located at 18 E. Carmel Valley Road, the name is not the only thing that brings light to the charming café. When creating the business, Bejar made assembling a team that values working together and sharing ideas one of her primary goals, in order to benefit the café and the locals she cares deeply about.
“My main idea was for it to be a gathering place for the community,” she said.
Not far away, Hauville came to the village with a similar intent. Having grown up in France, she moved to Chicago, Ill., and planned to have a career in marketing and sales following her business studies. Hauville fell in love with the city and eventually obtained an employer sponsorship visa, which eventually led to getting a green card.
After staying in Chicago for 12 years, Hauville moved to San Francisco, where she worked for a few more years. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, she moved down the coast to live on Country Flat Farm in Big Sur. That’s where she met her neighbor, farmer Charlie Cascio, who is also a cheesemaker and taught Hauville his craft, then invited her to take over his former job at Carmel Valley Ranch as its cheesemaker.
“After two years, I wanted to do my own thing and also make it more accessible
to everybody,” said Hauville. “Once I saw Rosie’s, I knew. It was so charming and
perfect, I just knew it was the right place.”
Fresh lemons
Formerly a post office, the small structure at 1 Esquiline Road in Carmel Valley
has been known as a meeting spot for locals since it was taken over in 1939 by William Irwin “Rosie” Henry and became Rosie’s Cracker Barrel. Rosie’s not only provided necessary items and food but created a cultural and social center for the area. Hauville wanted to have a similar space and add some of her own style and specialty with significant French flair.
The Carmel Valley Creamery is a family-friendly place for locals to come together, get a coffee, buy locally prepared food, and, most of all, enjoy freshly made cheese. For some families, the creamery is near where students are dropped off by the school bus, making it a convenient place to stop and chat over a latte or cappuccino.
Sunny Bakery Cafe and Carmel Valley Creamery pride themselves on shopping and selling local. Whether it’s Bejar using bags of Meyer lemons a neighbor brought in to make her delicious lemon pound cake, or Hauville using Alta Roasting Co. coffee from Santa Cruz, Woven Herbs tea from Big Sur and Ad Astra Bread Co. pastries, they support other small businesses.
Hauville said the most difficult part of cheesemaking is patience, a virtue both owners cited as a necessity in startibng their own businesses. And, although bringing their dreams to reality took a lot of time and work, Bejar and Hauville are extremely grateful for everyone who has helped them.
Sharing Techniques
They also agreed that one of the most important aspects of food service is its history. Sharing ideas, techniques and hints about ingredients has helped generations pass down so much tradition through food.
"I've alaways been very passionate about training people, teaching people and sharing what I know", said Bejar.
Similarly, Hauville implemented the idea of sharing the process into the creamery, which has large windows where guests can watch while she and her apprentice, Alexis Sabolsice, make cheese.
When customers see their food being prepared, it not only assures its quality but creates an even more hospitable environment and a connection to the people who make it.
Bejar and Hauville greatly value the feeling that their business are meeting places for local families, old friends, and all those who come through their doors.
By knowling people's names, remebering their orders and welcoming every customer, Sunny Bakery Cafe and Carmel Valley Creamery strive to maitain the closeness of people in Carmel Valley and hope to continue sustaining this special community through their love of food.
Comments