Joanne Chang facts for kids

Joanne Chang was born in Houston, Texas. She is an American chef and a successful restaurant owner. Joanne owns the famous Flour Bakery in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2016, she won a special award called the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Baker. People especially love her delicious sticky buns. In 2021, you might have seen her as a judge on the Netflix show Baking Impossible.

Growing Up and School

Early Life and Family

Joanne Chang was born around 1971 in Houston, Texas. Her parents were immigrants who met while studying there. As a child, she lived in Oklahoma and Texas. She loved to cook and bake, even from a young age.

Her family mostly ate "traditional Chinese cuisine" at home. They did not often have sugary sweets. But Joanne enjoyed baking chocolate chip cookies with her mother. She was a very good student and was the best in her high school class.

College Days at Harvard

Joanne went to Harvard College and graduated with honors in 1991. She studied applied mathematics and economics. At first, she studied astrophysics, which is about stars and space. Later, she changed her major to applied mathematics.

While at Harvard, she started selling chocolate chip cookies. She sold them at her dorm's grill. Soon, everyone knew her as the "Chocolate Chip Cookie Girl."

Starting Her Cooking Career

From Consulting to Cooking

After college, Joanne worked as a business consultant in Cambridge. She even made a business plan for her own company called "Joanne's Kitchen." She baked cakes and cookies for her co-workers. After two years, she realized that consulting was not her dream job.

Instead of going to business school, she decided to become a chef. She took a year off to learn more about cooking. Even though she didn't have much experience, she was determined.

Learning from the Best

Joanne started her professional cooking journey in Boston. She worked at Biba restaurant, making appetizers and salads. Then, she became a pastry cook at Bentonwood Bakery. In 1995, she became the pastry chef at Rialto restaurant in Cambridge.

In 1997, she moved to New York City. She worked in the cake department at Payard Patisserie. She worked very long hours, sometimes from 4 a.m. to midnight, six days a week. A year later, she returned to Boston. She wanted to open her own pastry shop. She used her French and American baking skills as a pastry chef at Mistral until 2000.

TV Appearances and More

In 2007, Joanne appeared on the Food Network show Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. She became "nationally known" after she beat Bobby Flay at making sticky buns. In 2015, she even created a special frozen yogurt flavor for Pinkberry.

Joanne's Restaurants

Flour Bakery + Cafe

As of 2020, there are 10 Flour Bakery locations in Massachusetts. Over 200 people work there. Flour Bakery focuses on "fresh, handmade bakery foods." Employees are taught to treat every product with "Pastry Love."

Flour is famous for its sticky buns. But it's also about how customers feel when they visit. Joanne says Flour is an "experience," not just a place to grab something quickly. She wants every customer to "come in and leave happier." The bakery's goal is to provide a simple, enjoyable experience. They focus on "great food, gracious service, warm atmosphere, heady aromas, and irresistible displays."

Myers + Chang Restaurant

In 2007, Joanne and her husband, Christopher Myers, opened Myers + Chang. This restaurant serves Asian fusion food in Boston's South End. They created Myers + Chang because they felt Boston needed a special place.

Joanne said they wanted to create a restaurant that was "Asian inspired, warm spirited service, genuine hospitality, stylish and fun." It was meant to be a place where "everyone would relax and have a great meal."

Awards and Cookbooks

Awards Won

Joanne Chang has won several important awards:

• James Beard Foundation Awards
  • 2016: Outstanding Baker
  • 2018: Outstanding Chef (Semifinalist)

Cookbooks by Joanne Chang

Joanne has also written several cookbooks, sharing her amazing recipes:

• Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
• Flour Too: Indispensable Recipes for the Café's Most Loved Sweets & Savories
• Baking with Less Sugar: Recipes for Dessert using Natural Sweeteners and Little-to-No White Sugar
• Myers+Chang at Home

Personal Life

Joanne Chang met her husband, Christopher Myers (restaurateur), in 1995. They worked together at Rialto in Cambridge. In 2007, they opened Myers + Chang together. The restaurant was inspired by Chinese and South Asian street food.

Joanne is also a runner. She ran every Boston Marathon from 1991 to 2006. She supports charities like No Kid Hungry, which helps end childhood hunger. She also supports Family Reach, another helpful organization.