An Atlanta Pastry Chef Serves Sweets and Second Chances As The City’s Macaron Maven
An Atlanta Pastry Chef Serves Sweets and Second Chances As The City’s Macaron MavenAn Atlanta Pastry Chef Serves Sweets and Second Chances As The City’s Macaron MavenThere are tons of reasons to visit Atlanta. Dining at Michelin-star restaurants, perusing high-profile traveling exhibits at the High Museum of Art (like the recently debuted GIANTS from Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys’ art collection), savoring bottomless brunch parties, and biting into mouthwatering Southern desserts to die for.
Enter Ché Houston. They call her Atlanta’s Macaron Maven but the 50-year-old pastry chef brings so much more to the table than just the delicious and delicate French confection she infuses with Southern soul. Her bite-size handcrafted macarons (think Southern banana pudding, strawberry shortcake, red velvet, chocolate cream cheesecake) are pure magic. But Houston’s journey to success wasn’t always sweet.
A mother of two, the Atlanta-raised business owner battled addiction, incarceration, and institutionalization before finding her turning point. In what she calls a “moment of clarity,” Houston says, “I went too far.” Determined to break free, she fought for her sobriety, stability, and future beyond “the ceiling I placed over myself.”
And that she did. While behind bars, Houston began to write her business plan. Line by line, she detailed everything she needed to launch her dream. “I wrote down everything I would need in my own shop,” she says. From ingredients to equipment and supply chains to strategy, Houston was armed with resilience and ambition as she sought resources to bring her vision to life.
In 2020, Houston won a trip to Miami sponsored by the Hip Hop Sisters Network for the Black Women Making Millions Academy. This and other life-changing opportunities provided her with mentorship from renowned business and leadership coaches. She gained the knowledge and confidence needed to take her brand to the next level.
Though Houston started with cupcakes and cakes, it was in 2014 that she fell in love with the art of French macarons. Today, her company, ChéRené Macarons & More, continues to captivate taste buds across Atlanta and beyond. Signature flavors like peach cobbler are palate pleasers. And while online sales thrive, wholesale partnerships with high-end restaurants, specialty markets, and upscale tea shops have propelled her brand’s growth.
Her infectious energy, radiant smile, and tasty desserts leave a lasting impression. But what truly sets her apart is her heart.
Operating out of PREP Atlanta, a shared coworking kitchen space on the Southwest side of the city, Houston isn’t just baking, she’s building futures. She hires former felons and veterans seeking a second chance by providing opportunities for them to rebuild their lives. Giving back is key for her. “Having a community that supports you is essential,” she says.
Houston isn’t only focused on prepping raspberry preserve and lending a hand to others. Her passion for growth is incessant. She is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business program, which is committed to providing proprietors with the resources needed to move their businesses from just getting by to growing at an accelerated rate.
Want a taste of the master macaron maker’s Southern goodness? Place your order now.