La Boulangerie

Fifteen years ago, Navot Raz quit a cushy management job in Israel to establish himself as a French baker half a world away in Calgary. But the long road to launching La Boulangerie Bakery Café had a few twists. In pursuit of his dream job, Raz first trained at Ottawa’s prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, where he mastered both French cuisine and pastry.

Having travelled the world, Raz loved Canada best. Visiting family in Calgary, he knew he’d live out his dream in the Prairie city. He and wife Shosh Cohen launched their first business—a farmers’ market creperie —in 2012. Within months, they burnt out seven Kitchen Aid mixers and expanded their little kiosk twice. Demand for their made-to-order crepes, sandwiches and pastries necessitated a move to bigger digs. Then, “like magic,” says Cohen, an ideal location on Fourth Street Southwest came available. “It was destiny,” she says. “God may give you the opportunity, but you have to work hard to do something with it. We are so thankful.”