Overcoming Challenges: The Catalyst for Transformation
For Chef Sonia Arias, Jaso was never just a restaurant; it embodied her work philosophy of dedicated, close-knit service where customer experience was inseparable from her personal life. Her level of commitment serves as an inspiration for many business owners, admitting, “I lived two blocks away in a hotel suite to dedicate every extra minute to improving service and paying attention to details. My home was Jaso, never perceived as a sacrifice.”
Crisis: The Time for Decisions
The pandemic brought about a turning point, forcing Chef Sonia to demonstrate her leadership through strategic yet difficult decisions. Her priority was clear: protect her team.
Chef Sonia Arias
While many business owners opted for mass layoffs, Chef Sonia chose to retain her staff under one condition: adaptability. She gathered her team and spoke with complete honesty, stating, “You will have to trust. If it means making lunchboxes for doctors, we’ll make them.” This business flexibility was not an improvisation but a clear vision of survival.
However, Jaso’s bakery, previously an understated part of the business, became the operational pillar. Chef Sonia acknowledges this without hesitation: “The bakery has always been my backbone. It was the child I never dedicated time to, yet it’s now the one that has brought me forward.”
Reimagining a Business Model
Instead of viewing the crisis as an end, Chef Sonia saw it as a new beginning. She decided to close Jaso Restaurant, accepting that the old model no longer fit the context.
This change was also a personal exercise in honesty. After separating from her partner and business associate, Chef Sonia realized she couldn’t simply reopen and pretend normalcy. It was a change not just in business model but in life stage.
Chef Sonia Arias
Chef Sonia admits she lost her passion for the first time in her life. “I could spend hours reading recipes, but back then, I didn’t want to see them,” she confesses. “I got lost. I didn’t want to open a single book.”
She felt burned out, forced to pause and rethink everything. “It’s like the phoenix,” she reflects, “you have to burn completely to ashes to be reborn.” But she adds that it wasn’t quick or painless: “It wasn’t in a month or two. It was many phases. I burned bit by bit, leaving behind what no longer served me.”
For Chef Sonia, this isn’t a story of defeat but a lesson on accepting the need to let go of what no longer works—even if it hurts—to make room for the new. Recognizing when a model, relationship, or even previous identity no longer serves its purpose and having the humility to rebuild from scratch.
This burning process enabled her to envision a different Jaso Bakery: more flexible, more conscious, and better aligned with her new vision of life and business.
A Well-Planned Flight…
Thus, Jaso Bakery was redesigned as a creative and digital pastry workshop. Chef Sonia chose a high-rise space with ample light, open views of Mexico City, transforming it into a true ideas and production laboratory.
She implemented digital strategies, strengthened online sales, worked on packaging aesthetics, product photography, and content for social media. She admits it was a steep learning curve but now proudly states, “At first, I didn’t understand those digital groups. Today, I feel much more prepared. I know what decisions I’m making.”
Human Leadership: Compassion and Consistency
The transformation wasn’t just strategic; it was deeply human. Chef Sonia understood she couldn’t maintain her previous pace without reflecting on her own expectations.
“You have to give yourself a break,” she insists. “Some days, nothing happens if you don’t move. You’ll recover with more enthusiasm tomorrow, that’s what I learned.”
Redefining the Product: Moments Over Just Flavors
Another aspect of this transformation is redefining product value. Chef Sonia shifted from a purely gastronomic focus—impeccable technique and complex flavors—to a philosophy centered on experience.
“My motto now is, ‘Don’t just taste this flavor; enjoy this moment,'” she shares. Another key aspect of Jaso Bakery’s reinvention has been forming a team aligned in values. Chef Sonia didn’t seek talent based solely on technical skills but on their ability to share the mission.
“I wanted to work with bright, passionate people who could touch others’ hearts through their craft,” she explains. The result is a more humane, creative, and sustainable work environment.
A Clearer Future
Today, from her high-rise workshop in San Pedro de los Pinos, Chef Sonia looks at her primarily delivery-based business with strategic clarity and genuine emotion. She realized it wasn’t about returning to what was but imagining something better.
Today, Jaso Bakery offers a carefully curated selection of desserts ranging from seasonal tarts with fresh fruits, vegan brownies, and gluten-free options to their iconic artisanal chocolates, which they revived after years of hiatus.
Chef Sonia bets on recipes that blend classic technique with contemporary flavors, carefully selecting ingredients and processes to deliver not just impeccable taste but a personal touch. “We want every order to be a gift, something meant to be savored without rush because, as Chef Sonia says, ‘Pastry—like life—requires care and patience, along with the value of transforming to soar higher.'”
To taste Jaso Bakery’s desserts, look for them on Rappi and UberEATS or through this link: linktr.ee/jasobakery.
