GUI was founded on the core values of taking care of our guests and employees alike. Having resided in Asia and Europe for 4 years and originally from San Francisco, GUI represents my professional and global experience.

There’s not a lot of fluff involved. I start with the best ingredients, make a list of flavors to combine, and create the components, letting the natural aesthetic of the ingredients guide the look. There’s a gritty, raw refinement that comes through. You get texture, caramelization, and char. I’m a big fan of that “European dark” look.

I’ve always wanted to start a pastry shop that would give me a platform to showcase my cakes and edible sculptures. It’s the ultimate format for me to make the things I like and share with people how to eat them.

I grew up in a large Italian family. We constantly found things to celebrate, and everything revolved around food and gathering around the table. Back when you could order things on TV COD, there was a cooking show on PBS called Chefs of the World. They went to a restaurant in New Orleans. I ordered the book. I didn’t ask my mom. They sent it, and it was the first time I made Paris-Brest.

Fast forward to now: my original concept was to offer only gooey butter cakes, so I did some research and developed recipes. Since I thrive in a collaborative environment, I took my friends' and family's input and felt the need to broaden the product range beyond just gooey butter cakes. For the name, I took a cue from Häagen-Dazs®, where the name didn’t really mean anything. I needed something with substance, as well as playful yet sophisticated, so I decided on GUI and gave it some meaning: Genuinely Unique Indulgences.