ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A much-loved bakery has outgrown its original home in Lehigh County and is planning to bring its made-from-scratch croissants, danishes and other tasty treats to a larger, nearby spot next month.
Sophistiqué – French Bakery, offering artisanal French pastries and other baked goods, is holding its final week at its original location at 924 W. Walnut St. in downtown Allentown as it transitions to a bigger space a couple of blocks away at 960 Hamilton St. in downtown Allentown, owner and French pastry chef Sophie Vandecasteele announced on the business’ social media pages.
Sophistiqué – French Bakery is planning to move to a new location at 960 Hamilton St. in downtown Allentown this summer.
Ryan Kneller
Following this final week of operations on West Walnut Street, the bakery will temporarily close for two weeks as it completes its move to Hamilton Street.
If everything goes smoothly, the bakery will hold a soft reopening at its new Hamilton Street location on July 8.
Vandecasteele encourages customers to visit the Walnut Street location one last time this week to say goodbye to the business’ first home.
She labels the upcoming move “incredibly bittersweet.”
Sophistiqué – French Bakery operates at 924 W. Walnut St. in downtown Allentown.
Ryan Kneller
“I am thrilled for what is next, but so sad to say goodbye to this cozy space where my dream came to life,” Vandecasteele said.
“Who would have thought an old tattoo shop could transform into a little French-style neighborhood bakery? That tiny, nestled space was exactly what I wanted — a place where you could come in every morning for a warm croissant or fresh baguette on your morning commute.”
The bakery’s forthcoming location will operate near 10th and Hamilton streets, across from the Moxy Allentown Downtown Hotel.
It will occupy a renovated space that previously housed a cigar shop.
Street parking will be available, and there also will be a small parking lot behind the Hamilton Street property, Vandecasteele said.
“I’m very excited,” Vandecasteele told 69 News.
Sophistiqué – French Bakery
“Since the new place is going to be bigger, I’ll have a separate, bigger kitchen where I can make more items. We’ll also be offering some drinks as well, and there will be a few tables for seating.”
Vandecasteele opened the bakery on West Walnut Street in November 2024 after amassing a large and loyal fan base over the previous two years at local pop-up events and farmers markets.
Sophistiqué focuses on typical French baked goods such as fresh baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, and brioches, along with French pastries like tarts, eclairs, mousse cakes and millefeuilles.
Everything is “homemade and prepared from scratch with quality ingredients,” Vandecasteele said.
“The most popular items are the croissants,” Vandecasteele said.
“We have a lot of different varieties of croissants, like pistachio berry, chocolate and almond, and we also offer different danishes and savory croissants. With the new location, we’ll have even more lunch options, like sandwiches on French baguettes as well as salads during the warm months and soups during the winter.”
Sophistiqué – French Bakery
Vandecasteele, who was born and raised in France and moved to the United States about nine years ago, held pop-up events in 2022 at Jay’s Local – a neighborhood eatery in Allentown’s West End – where she sold pre-packaged items such as shortbread cookies, hazelnut cakes and quiches such as red pepper and feta, bacon and cheese and salmon and cheese.
In early 2023, she began making her food fresh on-site at Jay’s Local with a recurring pop-up bistro, Sophistiqué.
Prior to opening her own, brick-and-mortar bakery, Vandecasteele also garnered followers by selling her treats at local farmers’ markets.
She labels her bakery a dream fulfilled and is “so thankful for everyone’s support.”
For her new location, Vandecasteele plans to build Sophistiqué’s team to accommodate more production.
“Business has been good, and I’m very thankful,” Vandecasteele said.
“So, when I had this opportunity to have a bigger space, I took it. I definitely needed more storage and more space to work. Now, I just need to find the right people to help the bakery grow.”
For its final week on Walnut Street, Sophistiqué will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Sophistiqué – French Bakery
“This building will be in my heart forever, but it is time for us to grow,” Vandecasteele said in the online announcement.
“I started this journey completely by myself, backed by the support of my husband, kids, friends, and family overseas. Now, my family has grown to include an incredible team and an amazing community of customers.”
For the latest Sophistiqué updates, follow the business’ pages on Facebook and Instagram.