Meet Mimi | Portraits of merchants & professionals of Côte-des-Neiges

As part of the Portraits of merchants & professionals of Côte-des-Neiges project, we invited Zeineb Khalfallah (@zeineb_conscience on Instagram) to join us in our visit of 11 businesses of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges who have participated in the project. In addition to the exhibition on Promenade Jean-Brillant of the pictures taken by Drowster and Gaëlle Leroyer, Zeineb shares with us the moments she took with the owners and managers. Learn more about your merchants and professionals of the Côte-des-Neiges district! // Find out more on Zeineb talks and meet Mimi, the owner of the delightful and very special pastry school Le Goût du Palais chez Mimi.

Marie-Émilie Sambou, alias Mimi, is a businesswoman with a big heart who, through pastry, shares her human values. Her pastry school, located in Côte-des-Neiges, perfectly reflects her love for her profession and her students. Upon our arrival at Le Goût du palais chez Mimi, the creator showed us around the premises and presented us with the different pieces concocted by her students. In each piece, we can feel the personality and origins of the artisan.

“One of the things I enjoy most in my profession is the relationship with my students. The separation with my students at the end of each course is one of the things that marks me the most!” she says with great emotion.

Mimi started her pastry school in 2014 after immigrating to Canada and training in the field. Her artistic side led her down this path, which allows her to help young people from around the world through her skills.

Although things were not always easy, Mimi persisted. Mother of 7 children, woman of diversity, Mimi has experienced, like any entrepreneur, some obstacles in her early days. Her perseverance, her sense of leadership and her passion for her job led her to success.

“I am passionate about what I do. I was a fashion designer for years when I was in my native country, Senegal. When I embraced the field of pastry, I joined my artistic talent. I started my school in Côte-des-Neiges for its multiculturalism. I feel at home here being surrounded by many ethnicities. It reminds me of my country, where we find people from everywhere”. Tells Mimi.

She continues the discussion by explaining that her mission is to help young internationals who want to study pastry in Montreal. To do this, the entrepreneur emphasizes the practical side of her teachings in order to allow the apprentices to easily integrate into professional life. “My training, which is accredited, offers the student the opportunity to acquire the knowledge to work quickly in a pastry shop or a bakery.” Emphasizes the school’s founder.

Finally, Mimi is a female role model for many immigrant women. By juggling multiple responsibilities, the single mother has been able to create a place for herself in the market and give hope to many young Quebecers and foreigners who have taken her courses.

Writer-journalist-reviser: Zeineb Khalfallah | Photo credit: Drowster

Complete the experience by visiting the free exhibition on Promenade Jean-Brillant from September 15 to December 5, 2021. Info: here

ABOUT THE PROJECT: Portraits of merchants and professionals of Côte-des-Neiges is a project aimed at connecting citizens with businesses in the territory of the Société de développement commercial (SDC) Côte-des-Neiges. Through a series of portraits taken at 11 businesses and businesses, we discover 16 owners and managers of businesses in the area. This social and cultural project is intended to be a real encounter with the people behind the professional. Through this very first edition, you will discover women and men, young professionals and experienced entrepreneurs, from different cultures, from different backgrounds, offering a varied commercial offer and all having in common their love for Côte-des-Neiges. Discover the exhibition section here on the Promenade Jean-Brillant and continue the experience online thanks to the touching interviews carried out with each of them and available on the SDC Côte-des-Neiges blog and via QR codes on each panel. This project is an initiative and is under the artistic direction of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges. The exhibition component was produced in collaboration with the Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges and the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.