Delice French Bakery & Café
Address: 2747 South State Street
Telephone: 801-953-1910
Website: delicebakeryslc.com
District: South Salt Lake
“People tell me, ‘Don’t worry about the little things.’ But that’s where it starts. If you don’t pay attention to the little things, then the problems will only get bigger.” If there is anyone who embodies the soul of a true artisan and perfectionist, it is Jean Jacques Grossi - though most know him simply as JJ. Beloved by his customers, respected by his staff, and renowned for his meticulous dedication to quality, JJ has spent his life perfecting the art of French pastry and baking. His journey, however, has been anything but ordinary.
Born in Canada to a French mother and Italian father, JJ’s early years were marked by movement and change. When his parents divorced, his dad stayed in Canada, but, ultimately, headed to Utah, while his mother returned to the south of France with all six children. It was in France that JJ’s path to the culinary world began - though not by choice. “I wasn’t the best in school,” he admitted. “At eleven, I started working summers in a charcuterie, and by fourteen, I was in a full apprenticeship.” He spent three years learning the art of sausage-making, pâtés, and traditional French butchery before becoming a journeyman.
In 1975, at the age of nineteen, JJ made his first trip to Utah - not to reunite with his father, whom he barely knew - but to visit three of his siblings who had moved there years earlier. He planned to stay just a month, but he fell in love with the city, the people, and the possibilities. “I wanted to learn English,” he said, “so I decided to extend my stay.” His father offered to help him get his U.S. residency, which required JJ to leave the country temporarily. Instead of returning to France, he opted to go to Toronto, where his aunt lived. While in Toronto, he took English classes and found work at a small pastry shop and later as a cook in a French restaurant. It was a formative experience - his first taste of independence in a foreign country. After a year and three months, his paperwork was finally approved, and in September 1977, he returned to Salt Lake City, ready to build a life for himself.
Thus began JJ’s decades-long career in Salt Lake City’s culinary scene. His first job was at Royal Palace, a fine dining restaurant set in a former synagogue, where he worked as a baker. From there, he spent time in construction, painting alongside his father before returning to the kitchen, this time as a baker at Hotel Utah, “one of the most prestigious hotels in the Western United States.” It was there that he met his future wife, a server at the hotel, and in 1983, they married and started a family.
JJ’s journey over the years took him through numerous ventures - each one further refining his skills and reputation. He spent time working at Brumby’s from 1991 to 1999, a bakery tied to an Australian chain, and later at the famed French restaurant L’Hermitage, bringing fine French cuisine to Salt Lake’s dining scene. He worked at Gourmandise, which remains a well-known establishment in Salt Lake today. His experience there played a significant role in shaping his career. But before all of that, there was a difficult split with his father that led JJ to a temporary move to Colorado, in search of new opportunities. He found work in a French bakery there, gaining even more experience, before eventually returning to Utah.
In 1999, JJ decided to take a break from the food industry and embarked on what he called a “sabbatical” in the south of France. When he returned, he stepped away from baking entirely and took a job at American Express in their travel department as a translator. Yet, the pull of the kitchen was too strong to ignore, and he found himself back at Gourmandise, this time for five years. When the business was sold, he signed a fifteen-year contract as the manager and pastry chef. However, after a decade, he was no longer happy with the direction things were headed. He decided to leave but was bound by a two-year non-compete clause, preventing him from opening his own bakery within a fifteen-mile radius. During this waiting period, he worked at the Grand America Hotel, took a well-earned vacation, and then found the building where Delice French Bakery would eventually take shape. His business partner purchased the property, and in 2018, JJ opened his own place at last.
As word spread that JJ had left Gourmandise and opened Delice, loyal customers sought him out, eager to once again enjoy the pastries they had come to love. Many of his current employees are people he trained over the years, including a former dishwasher who now serves as the main pastry chef at Delice. His team is one of the bakery’s greatest strengths.
JJ is quick to credit his staff for much of the café’s success. With a team of forty, many of whom are international, he emphasizes respect and loyalty. “Without them, I couldn’t do this,” he said. “They’re like family.” His actual family is deeply involved as well; his son works in the kitchen, and his daughter runs the front of the house. “It means a lot to have them here,” he said, his voice tinged with emotion.
From the moment JJ opens his café at 7:00 AM, the inviting space buzzes with activity. Early patrons savor morning coffee paired with freshly baked croissants or hearty egg dishes. As the day progresses, friends gather over lunch to enjoy offerings like the classic Croque Monsieur, a grilled ham and Gruyère cheese sandwich on sourdough with béchamel sauce, or the Caprese Panini, featuring fresh tomato, basil, mozzarella, and pesto aioli on focaccia. “It’s not just a bakery,” he explained. “It’s a café, a community space, a place where people come back again and again.”
Dessert enthusiasts are drawn to the long counter, enticed by an array of delectable pastries and sweets that promise to satisfy any sweet tooth. The menu is rooted in French tradition but tailored to the diverse clientele that JJ serves. “We have French pastries, of course,” he said, “but we also make tiramisu, baklava, and even American-style cookies. You have to appeal to everyone.” And appeal he does. His strawberry Napoleon is a runaway favorite, particularly among his large Latino customer base, while his black forest cake, pistachio-raspberry torte, and classic mille-feuille are consistently in high demand. Customers return time and time again for classics like carrot cake, German chocolate cake, tiramisu, Black Forest cake, crème brûlée, fruit tarts, and butter cookies. His American-style chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies are just as popular as his delicate French confections. “People like to know what to expect,” JJ explained. “So, I keep the menu the same, with a few specials thrown in each week and during the holiday season.”
Despite the challenges he has faced, JJ stays true to himself and as passionate as ever. “I am the same person I always was, and I will always give 100% of myself.” He is meticulous about quality, demanding that his team uphold the high standards he has set for decades. “If something isn’t right, I make them do it again,” he said. “Some people don’t understand why I’m so particular about the details. But it’s the details that make the difference.”
Although he continues to spend much of his time at the café, he has learned to step back - at least a little. “I don’t work eighteen-hour days anymore,” he laughed. “I try to keep it to five or six.” But no matter what, he is always there to greet customers, to chat with old friends, to make everyone feel at home. “People come in and ask, ‘Is JJ here?’” he said. “They want to see me. And I love that.”
