The rush to prepare Lionel Messi’s birthday cake

When the owners of Dulce de Leche Bakery picked up the phone Sunday night, one of their regular salespeople was calling to ask for an unexpected favor.

Could they make a birthday cake for Lionel Messi?

It was around 9 p.m. and the store had already closed. For anyone else, the answer might have been a resounding “no.” But the request was urgent, and for a player who had brought so much joy to this Argentinian-American family in New Jersey.

That his teammates wanted to surprise Messi before his 37th birthday, before the clock struck midnight, didn’t matter.

“One of his teammates who contacted him simply said: ‘We want to celebrate his birthday in his room at midnight. What can you do?’” says Julieta Urgilles, owner of the bakery The Athletic. “So of course we rallied.”

The bakery had to rush to pick up employees from their homes and drive to their West New York shop to get to work. The request didn’t come with specifics. But the bakery knew Messi’s favorite would be their traditional “homemade cake,” filled with cream, peaches and dulce de leche. They also added their famous “sandwiches de miga” (crustless sandwiches) and a few other treats.

With a 40-minute drive from their store to Short Hills, where the Argentine team was staying ahead of Tuesday’s Copa America match against Chile at MetLife, their delivery arrived just in time at 11:30 p.m.

While the bakery had to keep a low profile about its star client at first, after Messi shared photos of his cake, the floodgates opened for Dulce de Leche Bakery. It received some attention on social media and congratulatory messages. Images of their pastries and cakes flooded the Argentine and international press.

“It’s been amazing, but it’s also a huge honor to be a part of it,” Julieta says. “We feel like he brought so much joy and pride to our family, our country and our community, and this was our ‘thank you’ to him. We’re really excited and it’s something we’ll never forget.”

The Urgilles have operated Dulce de Leche Bakery for 17 years, starting with a store in West New York, New Jersey, and adding two locations in Jersey City and Englewood. The store is family-run and will be expanding again next month with a new 5,000 square foot store in downtown Miami.

The business dates back to when the Urgilles emigrated to the United States from Argentina in 1989. “My father (was) the typical immigrant story. He did a lot of other things, but he always had this idea of ​​creating an Argentinian bakery because at the time there was nothing like that,” Julieta said. “It all started with this tiny 900 square foot store in Western New York. It took a few years, but it really took off.

The business has since become a local staple in New Jersey, transcending the local Argentinian community and becoming a favorite for foodies of all backgrounds. As Messi’s popularity has exploded since winning the 2022 World Cup, so has the popularity of all things Argentinian.

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Cities like Miami, long considered a destination for Argentines, have also seen strong growth. “Miami is crazy,” jokes Julieta. “Miami might as well be Argentina at this point. »

This growth was further fueled by Messi’s surprise arrival at Inter Miami last year. Suddenly, fans flocked there not only for the culture, but also for the football. Considering all of this, and the fact that Julieta’s parents moved to Miami with plans to retire, it was a no-brainer for Dulce de Leche to open a shop in the Florida city.

“I mean, they weren’t looking to work because they wanted to retire,” Julieta said. “But with the Argentinian community in Miami and now with Messi there, it was a no-brainer. We get requests every day from people all over the country saying, “open one here, open one there.” And Miami has become a second home for all of us. »

Next month, when Dulce de Leche opens its new doors, a picture of Messi will hang on the wall.

It may just be a photo that millions will recognize: Messi proudly holding his own Messi-themed birthday cake, surrounded by members of the Argentina national team, days before the team beat Chile in front of a sold-out crowd at MetLife Stadium. Next to Messi are Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo De Paul and a few other of Messi’s closest friends.

There’s an array of delicious treats scattered on the hotel bed in front of them, and, if you look closely, you’ll also see the Dulce de Leche bakery logos proudly displayed.

(Top photo: @leomessi/Instagram)

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