“I feel if you want to be successful, whatever it is, you have to become a subject matter expert,” said Chris Hanmer, a pastry chef and co-owner of CH Patisserie. “You have to live it, breathe it, work it, and then start it.”
Success in any field requires a deep commitment to mastering what you do. To truly excel, you must immerse yourself fully—living, breathing, and working tirelessly. This dedication involves more than surface-level knowledge; it’s about understanding every nuance and detail of your career and wanting to build something you can be proud of. Recognizing an opportunity clearly and being able to successfully pursue it is truly something special.
Twelve years ago, downtown Sioux Falls was an incredibly different place than it is today. There was a need for more vibrant retail and businesses, which led the town to initiate an incubator program aimed at revitalizing the downtown area and attracting more businesses to the vacant buildings.
In the past twelve years, Phillips Avenue has undergone significant transformation, with multimillion-dollar projects now populating the area, reflecting a resurgence in development and community engagement. Chris and Caryn Hanmer experienced this firsthand as they, too, put their heart and faith into building their most recent business in downtown Sioux Falls.
The Hanmers are the proud and dedicated owners behind CH Patisserie. The couple are not just passionate entrepreneurs, but also experts in their field. Their distinct yet complementary backgrounds have shaped their culinary journey as a team, instilling a sense of confidence in their business acumen.
Caryn is a native of Sioux Falls and she spent most of her early years in the area before moving to Las Vegas in her twenties, where she built a successful career in the salon industry. Chris, on the other hand, comes from Southern California, where his culinary career started and led him to the Las Vegas area. He spent most of his time in Las Vegas working in hotels before he took on the role of Assistant Pastry Chef at the prestigious Bellagio Hotel.
Being in such a fast-paced area that was recognized for quality food allowed the two to flourish through the city’s culinary offerings. It also gave them the space to engage in the local community by starting their own school and consulting business focused on the culinary arts.
Along with much of the practical knowledge he has accumulated throughout his career, Chef Chris has been awarded a gold medal at the World Pastry Team Championship – the youngest American to do so at the age of 26. He has also been recognized as one of America’s Top-10 Pastry Chefs, competed in several Food Network challenges and claimed the title of “Top Chef” on Season 2 of Bravo’s Top Chef: Just Desserts.
Not only was Las Vegas an enterprising place to begin their careers, but it was also where they first met, started their relationship and soon decided to get married before they had their first daughter.
“Our real form of entertainment, when we met and were dating and got married, was dining, you know, all of our friends were basically chefs or in the hair industry, kind of creative people,” Chris said. “All of our expendable income went to dining out in Vegas, and at that time, it was a really golden time in Vegas.”
After spending nearly a decade immersing themselves in the vibrant dining scene and participating in Vegas’s distinctive and growing culture, they wanted to do something different.
“We really just wanted to start making things again and to be involved, and we both had a heart for service, you know, and we were both in the people business in different ways,” Chris said.
This, in turn, pushed them to return to Sioux Falls, where they used their rich and formative experiences in Las Vegas to their advantage. The decision to move was driven by a desire to create something unique in a city that, at the time, lacked high-quality patisserie options. They recognized that the area was undergoing a considerable change, providing them with the perfect opportunity to introduce their vision of a quality patisserie to the community.
“When people ask, kind of, ‘Why Sioux Falls?’ We could be anywhere in the country. We want to be here,” Chris said.
CH Patisserie opened its doors in May 2013, and it took a combination of drive and a strong sense of work ethic to bring the business to the point it is at today. This is evident in their dedication to the craft of pastry making and their commitment to the community. Their strong passion for service, stemming from their backgrounds in Las Vegas, has given them an approach to business rooted in a desire to create memorable customer experiences. This is a notable reflection of the two entrepreneurs, and highlights the quality of their products and the atmosphere of their patisserie.
“The community has really loved us, and that’s the beautiful thing about Sioux Falls… they just rally around you,” Caryn said. “They support you, especially if they like it.”
This shows that little things make a monumental difference—with customers and within the business itself. This mentality lends itself to customer satisfaction, while highlighting the importance of maintaining steady financial growth within the food industry.
“When Covid first started, we had our guests coming in and literally buying six macarons and leaving one-hundred-dollar tips, looking us in the eyes and thanking us for being here,” Chris said.
They had very little money when they first opened their shop, so being financially savvy was the only way the Hanmers could allow themselves to succeed and bring their vision to life. Winning “Top Chef” was one of the significant contributors to getting things started, but most of that money went to taxes and medical bills for their daughter at the time.
“The scariest thing about that is that when you get an SBA loan, you use your money first,” Chris said. “You drain your bank account, and then the loan kicks in. Not many people realize that you literally have to write that last check, so we had to be really creative.”
All of the original furniture for the patisserie was bought from IKEA, and on the day of the opening, they were still building the chairs. The Hanmers started with what they needed—nothing too fancy or expensive.
“We had one small oven, used display cases and we got some fun wallpaper…that was our splurge, to put wallpaper on a wall,” Caryn said.
They did everything they could to keep things running and push improvement where they needed it, including late nights reviewing the budget to make sure they knew exactly where every dollar was going. Having a life partner to do these things with made it possible for the Hanmers to build the blooming business that is visible today. With Caryn’s financial knowledge, she was able to make sure they were profitable from day one.
With their experience in the industry, combined with what they were learning with the patisserie, they knew immediately that staying small and only working with what you need when you absolutely have to have it was the most efficient way to maintain profits.
“We were so lean with spending, and we still are,” Chris said. “I think that’s a testament to Paul. We get to a point where we’re practically bashing our heads against the ceiling before we’ll spend that money, and then we grow again. I think that is something really important with entrepreneurship and business ownership; some people overextend on that part of it.”
As they built their business, one of the key figures who supported their journey was Paul Edwards, the owner of Chef Rubber, a supplier of culinary products. Chris met Paul early in his career, and their relationship provided instrumental encouragement and resources, helping to solidify their business’s growth.
Without this solid foundation, they might not have had the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise with the community in Sioux Falls. A combination of strategic planning, community engagement, aesthetic considerations and a strong work ethic allowed the business to flourish. That initial success allowed the Hanmers to train their team on the intricacies of French pastries while also imparting the importance of building connections with the people in the community.
While the patisserie business continues to grow, their pastries have maintained the level of quality CH Patisserie became known for. Without a second thought, Chris was sure that one of their top selling items are its French macarons, which are meringue-based almond cookies where the flavor comes from the fillings.
“Salted caramel and vanilla bean are our two best sellers, and everything else is a close third,” Chris said. “We do 12 flavors every day, and one of those flavors cycles every month. I was thinking over the years we’ve done close to a-hundred-plus flavors of the month if we add it all up.”
Chris never anticipated macarons being their best seller, but it made sense to him because there are many trends in food, and at this level of pastry, certain things are timeless and have become generational in France.
“They are not a trend like you see with the big cookies or cupcakes that cycle in and out throughout the years,” Chris said. “Macarons are an actual desire of people throughout the world—they are just coming to new locations. They’re always going to be popular because it’s ingrained in a culture, you know, a long-standing culture.”
It really adds to the other delightful options on the patisserie’s menu. A number of specialties drinks and viennoiserie, which include croissants, brioche and beignet, are also among their top selling items.
With everything put into building a successful and impactful business, CH Patisserie is a place where people can come and enjoy themselves. It is a space that is comforting, simple and easy. The design and vibe of the space are timeless, which lends itself to the timeless nature of the pastries produced at the patisserie.
“We wanted a warm, relaxed ambiance, and when we talk to just guests that know us, or we come to know, they talk about how the feeling is one of the number one things they love about the space,” Caryn said.
When it comes down to it, CH represents the entire Hanmer family—Chris, Caryn, and their two daughters. It’s not just a business; it’s a family endeavor where everyone is involved, from working at the farmers market to supporting the patisserie’s daily operations. The goal is to have something that can make both the community and themselves proud.
Chris and Caryn’s work ethic has been central to their journey, and their daughters have grown up witnessing their parents’ dedication. From long hours in the kitchen to fostering a sense of responsibility and hard work, the patisserie has provided a never-ending supply of learning experiences.
When asked if there was anything special about their business or their way of doing things, their answer was quite simple.
“At the heart of everything is our faith in God and Jesus,” Chris said. “It has carried us through countless challenges, including difficult moments with our daughter. Every major decision we’ve made, from moving here to navigating life’s hurdles, has been guided by prayer and trust in God’s plan.”
