About Us
Who we are
Tout Sweet Pâtisserie is the love child of curiosity and flavor. We believe that when people are eating desserts, they are in their moment of happiness, and when you choose to make us a part of your memories, be it solo, or with a group of loved ones, we take that seriously. In spirit of this, at Tout Sweet we constantly try to create flavors that not only intrigue curiosity, but also are a part of your everyday happy memories.
What We Do
We are a very eclectic group of people (really!), that are bound by one goal: to create the most delicious desserts that we can conceive! Much like the path to enlightenment, we know that this is a constant journey, full of exploration, testing, and eating! At Tout Sweet Pâtisserie we infuse flavor and fun into everything we make, from our French Macaron, to all our small cakes and verrines, large celebration cakes, as well as every cookie and pastry. We believe every bite you eat, should be worth eating.
Everyone has a different story and a different palate. Some may like chocolate, some may like sour. Our goal is to create something equally unique and delicious for everyone. Whether you come and enjoy yourself at one of our stores, or bring our goodies home, we literally want you to feel like a kid in a pastry shop, and unlike when you were a kid, this time you can have your cake and eat it too!
OUR STORES:
The Macy’s Union Square Store infuses an authentic French ambiance with a clean and modern California perspective. Retail shelving along the perimeter of the store displays gift options including dessert sauces, fruit curds, artisanal jams and marmalades and other confections.
Tables and chairs nestled throughout the store provide seating for up to 20 people. A communal table serves as the centerpiece allowing for a relaxed and informal atmosphere and the opportunity to engage in conversation with other guests.
The Palo Alto Store, located in Town and Country Village offers the best of Tout Sweet for your take out enjoyment along with custom order cakes and sweets for any celebration from small cakes for your office party to a colorful birthday macaron tower to the most beautiful wedding cakes.
OUR FRIENDS, OUR COMMUNITY
At Tout Sweet Pâtisserie, we embrace everything that California has to offer in it’s abundance and glory. Our chefs are constantly sourcing intriguing and fun new flavors and techniques from around the globe, but most importantly we are rooted in the local food movement in San Francisco. We are a green company, and we support our local farmers markets, as well as small artisanal growers, farmers, spice markets, honey makers and other small artisanal vendors.
At Tout Sweet Pâtisserie, we work proudly and exclusively with Guittard Chocolate Company, a San Francisco Bay Area chocolate maker celebrated for crafting world-class couverture chocolate based on traditional French methods. Founded in San Francisco in 1868, Guittard Chocolate Company is the oldest continuously family-owned and operated chocolate making business in the United States. Guittard is an industry leader in its global efforts to promote sustainability of the environment of the cocoa-growing regions and the well being of cocoa workers. guittard coco farmExperience, environmental responsibilty, and superior tasting product, make Guittard a perfect example of what we strive for in ourselves and in a perfect partner.
About us
Yigit Pura, President & Executive Chef
Yigit began his culinary training at the age of four in Ankara, Turkey while helping his mom make dark caramel. His formal culinary training began at the age of 20 in San Francisco, while working in some of the top kitchens. He then moved to New York City, where he accepted a position at Le Cirque 2000 and moved shortly after to The Four Seasons Hotel. Yigit then landed what he would call his “golden step,” as the Pastry Sous Chef at Daniel, under Chef Daniel Boulud. After two and a half years, he was promoted to Executive Pastry Chef for Daniel Boulud in Las Vegas. Prior to Tout Sweet, Pura spent five years serving as Executive Pastry Chef for Taste Catering and Event Planning
Yigit was crowned the winner and fan favorite on the premiere season of BRAVO’s “Top Chef Just Desserts” . Since winning, Yigit has become an internationally recognized chef and has been featured on TV and in magazines and newspapers across the globe. In September of 2012, Yigit opened the flagship Tout Sweet Pâtisserie located in San Francisco’s Union Square and published his first cookbook titled “Sweet Alchemy” in August 2014.
Yigit continues to be an advocate for human rights and for those who are underserved, using his voice to raise money for non-profit organizations around the nation, including Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, Meals On Wheels, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Project Open Hand and ASPCA. He has received recognition and awards from the city of San Francisco, as well as the California Senate, for his efforts.
Click HERE for a more complete biography of Mr. Pura.
MeMe Pederson, COO
MeMe Pederson directs retail and wholesale development, operations and sales at Tout Sweet. In addition to opening and overseeing operations of Tout Sweet Patisseries in San Francisco and Palo Alto, MeMe has led the expansion of wholesale operations with commercial partners throughout the Bay Area. MeMe has been at the center of premier catering in San Francisco and the Bay Area for over 25 years through her company, Taste Catering and Event Planning. MeMe has leant her talents and those of her company to developing food services for such diverse and unique operations as The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Teatro Zinzanni Dinner Theater, the San Francisco cabaret/restaurant AsiaSF, the Press Club Wine Bar and Lounge, and the Walt
Disney Family Café.
In addition to her business activities, MeMe has served on the board of directors for such important charitable organizations as Meals on Wheels of San Francisco and The Academy of Friends. Her generous community involvement includes the following organizations: SF Aids Foundation, Strike Out Breast Cancer, Project Inform, New Leaf, SF Performances, Yerba Buena Center for Arts, SF Film Festival, Dining by Design, Aids Memorial Grove and The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Janet Griggs, CFO
Ms. Griggs is responsible for the Company’s strategic and financial planning, financial controls and administration. Under her 25 year direction, Taste Catering and Event Planning was the first fully computerized off-premises caterer in San Francisco. She pioneered the development of proprietary software systems unique in the industry to integrate sales, kitchen, event operations and client relationships. In addition to her work with Taste Catering and Tout Sweet, Ms. Griggs oversees the financial activity for Taste’s restaurant partnerships with the Press Club Wine Bar and Lounge, and the Walt Disney Family Museum Café.
Ms. Griggs is a past President of the Board of CUESA, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture and currently sits on the board of San Francisco Travel.
