Tariq Hanna facts for kids

Tariq Hanna is a famous pastry chef. He was a partner and the main pastry chef at a dessert restaurant called Sucré in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was born and grew up in Nigeria. After going to school in England, he moved to the United States.

He went to Lawrence Technological University in Detroit, Michigan. Later, he studied cooking at Oakland Community College. His first job was making sandwiches at a deli. While looking for other cooking jobs, he started making pastries on the side.

His Sweet Beginning

In 1993, when he was 24, Tariq Hanna opened his own pastry and catering shop. It was called The Northville Gourmet. He ran this business for six years.

After that, he got a special job. He became the very first pastry chef for a casino in Detroit. This was at the MotorCity Casino, which opened in December 1999. Here, he learned a lot about pastries. He took classes, taught others, and entered many cooking contests. These contests were both local and national.

Becoming a Star Pastry Chef

While working at MotorCity Casino, Tariq Hanna appeared on the Food Network. He competed in shows like the National Bread and Pastry Championship. He also took part in the Chocolate Fantasy Competition. Other shows included Cereal Bridges and Gingerbread Mansions.

In 2004, he won a big award. He was named the best Central Region Pastry Chef of the Year. This award came from the American Culinary Federation. He was also the runner-up for the National Pastry Chef of the Year.

After seven years at MotorCity Casino, Hanna teamed up with Joel Dondis. Joel Dondis was a restaurant owner from New Orleans. Together, they created the Sucré restaurant.

Awards and TV Shows

In 2007, New Orleans Magazine named Tariq Hanna Pastry Chef of the Year. He was also a finalist for Chef Magazine's Chef of the Year in 2008. He was named the best pastry chef in 2008 and 2009. These awards were from New Orleans City Business Culinary Connoisseurs.

He also competed on TV shows like Ultimate Cake Off on TLC. He was in episodes called "Shark Summer" and "Fourth of July." He also appeared on the Food Network Challenge in an episode called "Incredible Edible Mansions."

The End of Sucré

The Sucré restaurant closed on June 17, 2019.