Our Story

Established 2007

How it started

In 2006, Alice left her career in the financial sector to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.  Following in the footsteps of her parents and with their support to guide her, she made plans to build a restaurant and bakery from the ground up in the heart of Montclair, Ca.

With limited industry experience and knowledge, Alice spent countless hours researching and learning at coffee shops, local bakeries and even online to understand the intricacies of the business.  She was truly self-taught and stumbled many, many times on her journey. Despite the many setbacks, one constant always remained, which was a firm dedication to honesty, quality and consistency.

Dolce Café and Bakery made its debut in May 2007 as an open concept café and bakery specializing in European fare.  It was a rough start during the 2008 Recession and the concept struggled to stay afloat.  Desperate for a change, in 2012, under the leadership of Chef Irene,  the cafe was eventually converted into a gastropub serving up gourmet burgers and craft beers. The concept did amazingly well and overnight, a star was born.  Weekend brunches gained notoriety and Dolce became a local fan favorite.

How its Going

Then, in 2020, COVID-19 struck. The forced government shutdown of all restaurants in March 2020 was a disastrous blow. After months of struggling with openings and closures, the difficult decision was made to shutdown the bistro permanently.

Throughout the years, while the restaurant struggled and underwent various conceptual changes, the bakery always remained consistent. Dolce Bakery became known in the local community as the place to go for all your celebration needs. Coupled with the popularity of the Gastropub, the hard work was finally paying off and business swelled. The bakery continued to operate as takeout only throughout the duration of the pandemic and the loyal fans kept coming. Word spread and social media took the community by storm increasing the bakery’s popularity.

With the Bistro closure, the bakery needed a new beginning. Always hidden in the shadows of the bistro, the bakery needed its own identity to shine like the star it was meant to be. Layered Cakerie was born.

With the same focus on honestly, quality and consistency, Layered Cakerie is the final culmination of two decades of learning, growing, and building. Using only the finest quality ingredients imported from around the world coupled with meticulous procedures developed over the years to ensure the same consistent product, we present to you the ultimate passion project LAYERED with all the best we’ve come to learn and know.

Then, in 2020, COVID-19 struck. The forced government shutdown of all restaurants in March 2020 was a disastrous blow. After months of struggling with openings and closures, the difficult decision was made to shutdown the bistro permanently.

Throughout the years, while the restaurant struggled and underwent various conceptual changes, the bakery always remained consistent. Dolce Bakery became known in the local community as the place to go for all your celebration needs. Coupled with the popularity of the Gastropub, the hard work was finally paying off and business swelled. The bakery continued to operate as takeout only throughout the duration of the pandemic and the loyal fans kept coming. Word spread and social media took the community by storm increasing the bakery’s popularity.

With the Bistro closure, the bakery needed a new beginning. Always hidden in the shadows of the bistro, the bakery needed its own identity to shine like the star it was meant to be. Layered Cakerie was born.

With the same focus on honestly, quality and consistency, Layered Cakerie is the final culmination of two decades of learning, growing, and building. Using only the finest quality ingredients imported from around the world coupled with meticulous procedures developed over the years to ensure the same consistent product, we present to you the ultimate passion project LAYERED with all the best we’ve come to learn and know.