SEATTLE — You can transport yourself to a Parisian café, by way of Capitol Hill, at The French Guys.
The small bakery inside a stone building has shelves filled with authentic French pastries, served by Thibault Beaugendre and Renaud Lacipiere.
They both moved from France to Seattle in 2019 but didn’t know each other until a Facebook group brought them together.
"When you arrive in a new country, you don't really know anybody and we were like, 'This guy is a cool guy,'” Lacipiere said. "I've been baking since I was 15 years old."
Beaugendre added, "I'm not a baker, I just love to eat the bread. But I have a business background, went to business school."
Together, they recognized an opportunity to create a small business showcasing their specialties and launched The French Guys - an homage to their homeland, using Northwest ingredients.
Their menu includes well-known pastries like croissants and brioche, and other hyper-local options like Kouign amann, cannele and Saint Genix.
"We try to find a balance between modern pastries and classic ones,” Lacipiere said.
Originally, they baked in a home kitchen and began selling at farmer’s markets.
“We're still doing a lot of them,” Beaugendre said. "I love markets, I love the feeling of markets."
But when they found a brick-and-mortar spot on a European-looking block of Roy Street, it felt like a perfect fit – and it’s open year-round, so customers can still find their offerings when market season ends.
"Their specialties are outstanding, just like in France - very, very good,” said customer Agnes Ravion, who also hails from France.
The French Guys bakery is located at 810 E. Roy St. in Seattle and is open Wednesday – Sunday from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
They also sell at farmer’s markets throughout the region:
Wednesday: Wallingford/Columbia City (Summer Markets)
Thursday: Queen Anne/Bellevue (Summer Markets)
Friday: Madrona/Phinney (Summer Markets)
Saturday: U-District (Year Round)/Issaquah (Summer Markets)
Sunday: Ballard/West Seattle Farmers Market (Year Round)
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