About Cindy
Cindy Kruse is an American Pastry Chef who has been making people happy with her delicious desserts for over 20 years. After graduating from Boston University with a Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in 1990, Cindy studied at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Upon graduation, Cindy became part of the opening team for Wolfgang Pucks’ Spago in Las Vegas. The year was 1992.
In the next decade, Cindy worked with some of the best chefs in the United States including Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, Charlie Palmer and Jean Georges Vongerichten, mentors she credits for her culinary philosophy and overall success. In 2003, Cindy was tapped by then boss, Charlie Palmer, of Aureole fame, to co-create the desserts for the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. To this day, Cindy remembers that event as "not only one of the hardest, but most rewarding experiences of my culinary career".
In the summer of 2005, Cindy became the Executive Pastry Chef at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami. Upon the closing of the Resort for renovation, Cindy worked for the famed Barton G, where she oversaw all the catering and restaurant dessert production for two years.
Cindy has been featured in the Wine Spectator, Gourmet, People and Pastry Arts Magazine. Her delicious desserts are the result of her great love of everything sweet.
About Eric
Eric Paige is the co-founder of Cindy Lou’s Cookies. He grew up with a love of cooking instilled in him by his father, Louie, who loved to cook and bake. This led him to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Eric graduated from the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach in 1994. He worked in top kitchens throughout the United States, including the Ritz-Carlton in West Palm Beach, the Ritz-Carlton in Puerto Rico, and Picasso Restaurant at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
In 2012, Eric joined forces with his partner, Cindy Kruse, to start Cindy Lou’s Cookies out of a garage in Coconut Grove, Florida. In 2017, Cindy Lou's Cookies moved into its permanent location in Little River, making it the first artisanal cookie shop in Miami. In order to keep up with all the taste-testing of his delicious creations, Eric is an avid road cyclist and runner. Today, Eric and Cindy have created an award-winning recipe for success. Cindy Lou's Cookies is considered one of the best bakeries in Miami with a cult-like following.