Today we’d like to introduce you to Felicia Noel.
Hi Felicia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I fell in love with cooking when I was a little girl growing up in the small town of Caye in Puerto Rico. My aunt Ada (my grandfathers sister) lived in Caguas but she had a small wooden home (casita) with a tin roof on our families land in the mountains in Jajome, Cayey. Every weekend her and my uncle Pomales would make their way to Jajome and most weekends they would stop on their way to pick me up. The casita was very small and had a small kitchen where so many of my core memories were made. Every weekend titi Ada would cook tons of food for everyone and anyone who would stop by. It was like an unspoken pact that there would be food for anyone who showed up and as I look back, I’m amazed at how many people were fed each weekend. Titi Ada always had staticky musica jibara playing on a small am/fm radio tied to a window for better reception as we started the day boiling water to make café colao (coffee filtered through a cloth strainer called a colador). On Friday nights she would dump one small bag of dried pink beans in a pot of water to soak overnight and before we moved it from the sink to the stove where it would sit all nght, she would say a prayer “Padres santo, gracias por el pan nuestro de cada dia. Mutiplica estas habichuelas como multiplicastes el pan y los peces hasta que todos los que lleguen esten abastecidos.” (Holy father, thank you for our daily bread. Multiply these beans as you multiplied the fisha nd the loaves until all who come are satisfied). I just remember waking up every morning amazed at how much more beans we had and as family, friends and the community were served throughout the day she would smile and wink at me and say “Did you see how He multiplied the food?” The love of feeding other was a love I felt from those very early years. After going to a vocational high school for Hospitality and Tourism in Culinary Arts and being able to do dual enrollment at La Universidad del Este in PR, I knew this was my calling. Becoming a teen mom put that dream off for 17 years but in 2023 with the love and support of my son (Kayin) and my now husband (Scott) I started baking and selling at local St. Augustine and Jax area markets. We’ve experienced exceptional growth since then and are grateful to now own the only Puerto Rican Bakery and Cafe in St. Augustine. Our cafe is a place where each bite is a nostalgic experience of my heritage, culture and people. With a gorgeous mural displaying the mountains of La Robleda in Cayey PR and part of the Cordillera Central de PR as well as a painting of my Titi Ada’s casita, nostalgic games like dominoes and Briscas playing cards, 2 cozy seating areas and our powerful prayer wall; being here feels like home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest obstacle early on was having to put off my dream when I had my son right before I turned 19. I knew from the start that I would be a single mom and it forced me to choose employments with consistent income in order to provide stability and security for myself and my son instead of staying in school for culinary arts and trying to make it in the industry. When the time came in 2023 when I had decided to pursue this dream that had lived in my heart for so many years I faced internalized challenges like fear of failing or putting my family in financial ruin. We constantly prayed over this business and doors began to open. At our very first market, we sold out in less than 2 hours and still had 3 hours of market to go. For our next market we increased production and sold out again. We spent the next few weeks showing up at markets and selling out of all our traditional Puerto Rican pastries market after market. I rented a commercial kitchen which allowed me to expand my menu but was met with the challenge of not being allowed to have a place for guests to come in , sit down, and enjoy the pastries. The location only allowed for guests to pick up and go. We knew our next move. had to have a space for our guests. Since opening our cafe in June 2025 we have received such a warm welcome from the community and I have been able to connect with so many local Puerto Ricans here in the diaspora who were longing for a place that reminded them of home. Our biggest hurdle at the moment is getting the word out and making sure people know we are here!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about La Amapola Cafe?
We specialise in traditional Puerto Rican pastries (quesitos, pastelillito de guayaba, tres leche, flan, etc,), food (pernil, arroz con gandules, tripletas, yuca al ajillo, pollo asado, etc.) and coffee. We also make custom cakes and cater.
The cafe is an environment of peace. We are faith based (Christian) and love all people. We look forward to our calm and peaceful environment being a space where college students come in to get work done in peace, where homeschoolers gather and share moments of joy and laughter. A space for groups of men and women to come and feel safe to enjoy each others company, and check in on each other. Where people with needs can come forward confidently and ask our staff for prayer and know they will be prayed over. Just as my aunt prayed for every person that came to eat each weekend, we pray for every person we might encounter and serve each day.
What matters most to you?
My heart is to share my love of my heritage, land and culture through food and baked goods while making guests feel loved and seen. We strive to get to know our customers and love it when they become regulars!
I have a strong desire to serve teen mothers so we partner with the St. Gerard Campus by donating all profits of the Glisson Latte to St. Gerard each month to help support their mission of empowering and equipping teen mothers by helping them be the best mothers they can be while also completing their high school diploma.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://laamapolasta.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laamapolasta/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/La-Amapola-St-Augustine/100093312355824/
