Naomi and Ellie Lippel, co-owners of the new Woops! Bakeshop on University Boulevard, are sisters who have always wanted to open their own cafe.
The duo capitalized on that dream and opened the first Arizona franchise of the southwestern-meets-European dream bakery just a couple weeks ago.
Bright colors, smiling faces and fresh flowers glisten on white, European patio tables that dot the eatery’s cozy inside. Woops! opened in New York in 2012, and a number of pop-up shops and kiosks selling colorful macarons followed, according to Naomi.
“We wanted to create a relaxing space for students to hang out, study, go on dates,” she said.
The bakery’s aesthetic was complemented (somewhat surprisingly) by ‘60s soft-rock music, creating an smile-evoking atmosphere where students could work on some light schoolwork.
The shops have 18-20 flavors of macarons available, depending on what seasonal products are featured. They also serve other types of pastries, from varioulsy flavored croissants to French-baked custards, Eastern European rugelachs and South American alfajores.
Along with sweet treats, the bakery will soon begin to dish out savory items—even sandwiches. Woops! has long hours—the bakery is open 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. during the week and 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. on the weekends.
The bakery lucked out with a storefront on University Boulevard—a prime area for students to work in the cafe, as well as a spot for curious passerbys to discover a macaron is what their life lacks.
Jayme Wong, a graphic design senior, has already visited Woops! multiple times since its initial opening.
“I really like macarons—a lot,” Wong said. “That’s why I got so excited.”
Art history senior Felicia Aflague didn’t share Wong’s penchant for the cookie, but seemed to enjoy her introduction.
“I think they’re reasonably priced for such good quality,” Aflague said.
The two were trying various flavors, which range from chocolatey to fruity, and classic to old-fashioned. The old-fashioned style, two soft cookie sandwiches, don’t have the meringue texture the classic ones do.
The cafe also serves coffee drinks, crafted with beans that are less acidic and European-blend inspired. Their deep, chocolatey coffee brings out the flavors of every pastry.
Woops! offers many different macaron gift boxes and when you walk in, you’ll see a display of personalizeable goodies and UA-themed cookies, which you can design and order through Woops!’s website to be made in their headquarters back east and safely shipped to wherever you are.
Although the location does not actually house a full bakery—Woops! gets their sweets shipped prepared to bake or thaw in-house—they are remarkably fresh.
Naomi hopes her peculiarly named endeavor will be worth it and fulfill the “lack of macaron scene” she noted in her native Tucson.
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