The rush to prepare Lionel Messi’s birthday cake

When the owners of Dulce de Leche Bakery picked up the phone Sunday evening, 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 they had already closed up shop. 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 12 didn’t matter.

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

The bakery rushed, picking up employees from their homes and heading to their Western New York store to get to work. The request did not include any details. But the bakery knew that Messi’s favorite would be their traditional “house cake”, filled with cream, peaches and dulce de leche. They also added their famous “miga sandwiches” (crustless sandwiches) and a few other treats.

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

While the bakery was initially expected to remain discreet about its star customer, once Messi shared photos of his cake, the floodgates opened for Dulce de Leche Bakery. They received some attention on social media and congratulatory messages. Images of their pastries and cakes have flooded the Argentinian and international press.

“It’s been great, but it’s also a great honor to be a part of it,” says Julieta. “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 beyond the local Argentinian community and becoming a favorite of foodies from all walks of life. As Messi’s popularity has exploded since his 2022 World Cup victory, so has the popularity of all things Argentinian.

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Places like Miami, long considered a destination for Argentines, have also boomed. “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 being there, it was a no-brainer. We get requests every day from people all over the country saying, ‘open one here, open one one there.” And Miami became a second home for all of us.

Next month, when Dulce de Leche opens these new doors, on the wall there will be a picture of Messi.

This is perhaps a photo that millions of people will recognize: Messi proudly holding up 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 close friends of Messi.

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

(Top photo: @leomessi/Instagram)

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