You no longer have to travel to France to get a bite of authentic French pastries because Julien Almandoz and Sandra Hodet are happily baking up fresh French baked goods at Pink Door Bakery in Riverview. The couple were both born and raised in France. Almandoz was born in Paris and Hodet was born in Brest in northwest France.
“We met in Paris while I was finishing my nursing studies,” said Hodet. “In 2014, we moved to Quebec, and we then had our first child, Nathan.”
The couple spent 10 years in Quebec, Canada, and added a daughter, Sarah, to the family. During this time, Almandoz expressed his dream of one day becoming a business owner and opening his own bakery.
Hodet said, “It was during a discussion on a family vacation in New Orleans that Julien said to me, ‘OK, it’s in the USA that I want my bakery.’”
That was in January 2023. The couple thought about where they wanted to settle, and upon doing research they came across Pink Door Bakery in Riverview, which was for sale. It was the perfect fit for the family.
“We have been the new owners since the reopening on January 24, 2024,” said Hodet. “We kept the concept of an American bakery with cookies, cupcakes and bars but indeed added French bread, pastries, and viennoiseries.”
Viennoiseries are French baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough. They are similar to bread or puff pastries but have a richer, sweeter taste.
The Pink Door Bakery offers a variety of items, including baguettes, sourdough bread, croissants, pain au chocolat as well as different types of cakes, such as lemon meringue pie, opera cake, primavera and Paris-Brest, which is a classic French pastry featuring a crisp almond baked ring of choux filled with praline cream and dusted with powdered sugar.
The bakery also offers toasted baguette sandwiches, breakfast croissants, quiches, coffee and cold drinks. The adorable shop has some seating inside and outside if customers prefer to eat their treats on-site. The couple has plans to open more indoor and outdoor seating soon.
Almandoz is the head baker and Hodet takes care of sales and sandwich preparation.
“We’ve had a very warm welcome from the customers,” said Hodet. “They are so kind and interested, which touches us deeply. Perhaps it’s time to thank them for letting us live our American dream by supporting our local business.”
Pink Door Bakery is located in the Shoppes of Boyette plaza at 11266 Boyette Rd. in Riverview. For more information, call 813-442-4474. For up-to-date daily items, visit its Facebook page, ‘Pink Door Bakery.’
