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There’s a reason Délices de France — the Miami-based, artisanal bakery founded and run by Patrick Baboun ’85 — was one of four finalists at the annual Baguette Battle Miami this past spring.

The food there is really, really good.

That’s probably because the Haitian-born Baboun, who grew up steeped in French and Creole food and culture, pays attention to details. “I make everything from scratch using natural products. I don’t cut corners. Quality is a priority for me,” he says. Patience while making pastries is another key, because chocolate tempering is a slow process.

Baboun opened the bakery in 1994, working 13.5-hour days during the first 18 months. Breakfast and lunch hours are busiest and some of his most popular items include the plain croissant, the ham-and-cheese croissant, the almond croissant and the cinnamon Danish. Today, he manages 16 employees, often has a line out the door and has never had to advertise. Word of mouth has led to 216 Yelp reviews that average four-and-a-half (out of five) stars.

His love for baking began after college, when he lived in Canada and offered to work for free at his favorite local bakery. There, he learned how to make bread, pastries, cakes and ice cream. “I realized that I really liked what I was doing," he says. “When you’re creating something from A to Z and you see the end result, it's wonderful.”

After that, he headed to France for a few years to earn graduate certifications in baking and work with top chefs. Whenever his hands weren’t in an oven, he was playing soccer. “I live and breathe soccer. I love it,” he says.

Soccer was a huge part of Baboun’s UT experience. After transferring to UT during his sophomore year (following one year at nearby Saint Leo University), he walked onto the men’s soccer team, red-shirted his sophomore year and played during his junior and senior years — a feat that makes him proud. “They were No. 1 in soccer at the time. They were national champions. It wasn’t easy. If you were not willing to be challenged and work hard, you would not be part of the team. I liked the challenge,” he says.

These days, in Miami, he’s still putting on cleats to play in an over-50 league on Sunday mornings. He lives with his wife, Olga, and his two teens, Darrick and Nathalie. If he can find another good location within a few miles, he’d love to open a second bakery someday — an idea that is sure to make stomachs growl all over South Florida.

By Jane Bianchi, Writer/Editor