Globally inspired Charlotte cafe puts out a killer chopped cheese — and there’s pastry, too

In Charlotte, innovative chefs are being recognized for bringing international influences to the local culinary scene, like chef Sam Hart at Counter and chef Andres Kaifer at Customshop. But nestled between a karaoke bar and a nail salon in Montford is a quiet, unassuming spot, La Dolcekca Bakery Cafe, that’s doing just the same.

At La Dolcekca, owner Karina Cooper transports guests across cultures and through global flavors by way of pastries, sandwiches and whimsical design — a reflection of Cooper’s multicultural roots that shape her personal and culinary identity. Even the cafe name itself, La Dolcekca, is a fusion, combining the Italian word “dolce,” translating to sweet, with Cooper’s initials “KC.”

Cooper, born in the Dominican Republic, grew up smelling fresh-baked goods wafting in from a neighboring bakery. “I always was curious about what they were making … I said ‘Oh my God, I want to make those cookies’ … that’s when my curiosity opened up toward baking,” she told CharlotteFive recently.

From that point, Cooper had a near insatiable drive — and appetite — to not only make pastries and cakes, but also to establish her own brick-and-mortar bakery.

“After work, I was always making cakes,” she said, referencing 20 years of balancing full-time jobs with raising three daughters and managing her side-hustle cake business. “I always had my dream that I wanted to open my own bakery. I love to bake, and I love to create stuff.”

This dream wasn’t just to showcase Dominican flavors, but to develop a menu that represented her family’s diverse origins.

“My stepfather’s Italian, my mom’s grandfather was French, but I’m Dominican … so this is a mixed culture … it’s a mix of things that I love,” she said. “I don’t like to classify one thing … because I want you to experience flavors from many different places.”

Upon entering into her dream-realized cafe, visitors will immediately clock that international influence, particularly on the bubble-font chalkboard menu and in the pastry case, spanning from salmon chipotle sandwiches, empanadas and American-style wings and waffles to guava puff pastries and pistachio flan.

Sweet treats, like the Alfajor, the award-winning and spongey tres leches or the raspberry lemon and white chocolate cookie, are baked fresh in the back throughout the day and range from $5 to $10. Cooper recommends the cheesecakes and Blondies as must-gets. There are also an abundant 24 flavors of syrups to tailor coffee drinks.

Guests will also note the all-encompassing Parisian aesthetic — hot pink and floral, like Barbie-dreamhouse-meets-French-cafe. “Before I opened, I went to France and went to school to learn to make pastries and cakes there … I love beautiful pastries that you can see with your eyes … and petite things,” she said.

This appreciation for all things Parisian and petite is a firm tenet of Cooper’s style, proven by the bounty of miniature cups and saucers stacked on shelves, flaky palmiers and frames of romantic French scenery scattered along the walls.

Long before these cafe dreams came to fruition, Cooper left the Dominican Republic at 21 years old for New York City. Ten years later, Cooper relocated to Charlotte with her three daughters — Sharon Chanelle, Kiana and Jade — and her mom.

After saving money as an apartment leasing consultant and as an account manager with Lancome, navigating a divorce and selling her house, Cooper’s dream became less of a longing and more of a possibility. In 2022, it was time to open her business. The bakery on Montford Drive opened in August 2022.

Cooper’s daughters, now in their late teens and early 20s, are co-collaborators and supporters of their mother’s dream at La Dolcekca. Kiana, the youngest, is the “cookie queen” who comes on Sundays, Cooper said. Her middle daughter, Jade, is around every so often, but “only when she wants to eat something.” Cooper’s oldest, Sharon Chanelle, crafts the banana pudding, cakes, cheesecakes and develops recipes for many of the savory items, like the salmon chipotle and the beloved — and trending — chopped cheese sandwich, informally known as the chop cheese, honoring the family’s New York roots.

This New York bodega sandwich of ground beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard on a toasted hero has been steadily rising in popularity since the ‘90s, expanding from NYC boroughs and finding its way into Tiktok, celebrity culture and even elevating to new heights with wagyu beef chop cheese versions.

At La Dolcekca, however, recipe-creator Sharon Chanelle puts a sneaky twist on the NY classic, adding a helping of pico de gallo into the mix — a testament again to that culinary culture-bending — and ultimately, cementing the sandwich as a top-seller with a side of fries for $18. To go ordering is available via DoorDash.

Cooper expressed a sincere sense of gratitude for working alongside her family in this capacity, and also having the help of Juliana, Carla and Miss Gladys — cooks from Colombia and Chile. However, for Cooper, the most rewarding part has been seeing the joy on people’s faces when they see her custom cakes for the first time, which can be ordered online, in-person or via phone.

The joys of this dream go hand-in-hand with significant challenges. “First, it was very difficult for me. I’m a woman, minority and Latin … I still haven’t gotten business loans or grants,” she said.

Like many folks in the restaurant industry, Cooper works long hours with limited help, which can contribute to burnout, something 80% of hospitality workers have experienced. “I work 7 days here; I work open to close nearly every single day. Trust me, I get tired, but I have to keep pushing because that is what I love,” she said. Despite the ongoing burden of rent and bills, especially during slower periods, Cooper is “still striving … to do better, and to keep” her firmly-rooted dream alive.

At La Dolcekca, these challenges seem to be all part of a greater plan. “You have to go through so many different challenges in order for you to see a real dream achieved,” she said. Cooper credits God and her steadfast dedication to this lifelong goal, saying, “If I’m with God, there’s no human being on this Earth that can stop me.”

Hanging on a wall beside various other Parisian-themed pictures is a swirly pink frame showcasing a black and white picture of Cooper gazing at the Eiffel Tower on her first trip to Paris, before going to school there and long before opening up La Dolcekca. This picture, capturing a longing gaze toward something people can only dream of, is particularly poignant in this bakery that, for the majority of Cooper’s life, was somewhat of longing gaze, and now, three daughters and two moves later, belongs to her.

La Dolcekca Bakery Cafe

Location: 1607 Montford Dr Suite C, Charlotte, NC 28209

Hours: Daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Instagram: @ladolcekcabakerycafe