Estelle Bakery will open April 1 – no foolin’
Also, news on the Davis skate park, this column’s Substack ranking, grand openings set for Show Izakaya and Frenzy Coffee, and updates on World Traveler Coffee Roasters, and Tea List
The highly anticipated Estelle Bakery & Pâtisserie will begin is soft opening on Tuesday, April 1, owner Esther Son confirmed today.
The bakery has been in the works since 2022, when Son purchased the former Konditorei Austrian Pastry Cafe at 2710 Fifth St. in Davis. Konditorei closed in February 2022 when its owners retired.
“Thank you for being patient,” Son said via text message late Thursday afternoon.
Estelle has two other bakeries in Sacramento. But as a 2000 UC Davis alumna, Son said having one in Davis is “like coming back home. … I plan on spending more time in Davis, including taking walks on the greenbelt.”
For the month of April, soft opening hours will be 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Regular hours begin May 1, when it will be open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Son said the menu for the soft opening will be the same as the Sacramento stores, except for a handful of hot foods. Estelle offers many breakfast and lunch items – with a French twist – including French toast, soups, sandwiches, quiche and salads. It’s well known for its pastries and desserts, with several croissant varieties, croixnuts (croissant doughnuts), Danish, scones, muffins, bear claws, and brioche doughnuts on Fridays. There are French baguettes and multiple kinds of sourdough breads, along with macarons, tarts, mousses and cakes. Visit its website to see the full list.
Son said they will be interviewing potential employees for the Davis bakery in April. Those interested may send an email to careers@estellebakery.com.
→ Substack ranking: This week, Substack is promoting its “leaderboards” in various categories, tracking the publications that are most profitable on the platform.
Believe it or not, Comings & Goings is 27th in the business category, out of a list of 525. At least nine of the publications that rank higher have fewer paid subscribers (hundreds) than me (thousands) but they charge a bunch more (my $5 a month is the minimum).
Of course, Comings & Goings sticks mostly to Yolo County, so it has little chance of moving too far up the leaderboard. I have received several messages from people who wish their community had a similar publication that tracks local businesses as they open and close.
I’ve been doing this column since 2001, and it’s so rewarding to know it finally has such support. It’s what I love to do. And starting in July, it will be my only source of income, as I retire from my freelance and contract work. Dedicated readers like you made this possible. I am so grateful.
If you are wondering, my colleague Bob Dunning’s The Wary One is 48th in the culture category, which also lists the top 525. We just started on Substack in May. Yay us!
This is another big news week, so watch for an second column tomorrow.