Just in time for Bastille Day — which commemorates the start of the French Revolution — a French bakery has celebrated a new home, a bigger staff and an expanded menu to come in Allentown.
Sophistiqué – French Bakery held a ribbon cutting Tuesday, the same day of the French holiday, at its new location at 960 Hamilton St., where it offers croissants, baguettes, cakes, sandwiches, macarons and danishes.
The ribbon-cutting followed a soft opening on July 8 — the birthday for owner Sophie Vandecasteele’s mother and a lucky day for her family.
“I’m French, born and raised in France, but also my parents are Chinese and for us, the number eight is a lucky number,” she said.
The bakery opened in November 2024 at 924 W. Walnut St., where Vandecasteele said she found great success and relationships with her neighbors.
“People just come in, I know their name, they know my name, so it was kind of [a] small community there and that’s what I was looking for,” Vandecasteele said.
A neighborhood bakery like hers is important, she said, “because in France, you can find a bakery in every corner. You just walk and every 10 minutes, you have a bakery, and you just walk in and grab a bread or croissant after school [or] before work, after work, so it reminds me of France.”
The baker wanted to move for a bigger space that could host a larger team of around eight or nine part-time employees as well as, eventually, new menu items like additional sandwich types, additional desserts, salads and soups.
“I loved it [at Walnut Street] because it was small and cozy, it was really nice to start there,” she said. “But then I wanted to expand my offerings and for that, I need to grow my team [and] to have more help in the kitchen so I can focus on other items to offer on the menu.”
Vandecasteele said that while she is finetuning the hours, the Hamilton Street bakery will operate mornings through afternoons Tuesday through Saturday.
Owner Sophie Vandecasteele smiles Tuesday, July 14, 2026, during the opening ceremony for Sophistiqué’s new location at 960 Hamilton St. in Allentown. The bakery was originally opened in November 2024 at 924 W. Walnut St., with the bigger space expected to feature an expanded menu and a bigger team of part-time staff. (Jon Chiu/The Morning Call)
Sophistiqué – French Bakery celebrated its move to a new home in Allentown. (Photo courtesy of Sophie Vandecasteele)
Sophistiqué – French Bakery celebrated its move to a new home in Allentown. (Photo courtesy of Sophie Vandecasteele)
Sophistiqué – French Bakery celebrated its move to a new home in Allentown. (Photo courtesy of Sophie Vandecasteele)
Owner Sophie Vandecasteele cuts a ribbon while surrounded by family, friends, supporters and public officials Tuesday, July 14, 2026, during the opening ceremony for Sophistiqué’s new location at 960 Hamilton St. in Allentown. The bakery was originally opened in November 2024 at 924 W. Walnut St., with the bigger space expected to feature an expanded menu and a bigger team of part-time staff. (Jon Chiu/The Morning Call)
People mingle Tuesday, July 14, 2026, during the opening ceremony for Sophistiqué’s new location at 960 Hamilton St. in Allentown. The bakery was originally opened in November 2024 at 924 W. Walnut St., with the bigger space expected to feature an expanded menu and a bigger team of part-time staff. (Jon Chiu/The Morning Call)
A croissant-shaped plushie sits on a glass divider Tuesday, July 14, 2026, during the opening ceremony for Sophistiqué’s new location at 960 Hamilton St. in Allentown. The bakery was originally opened in November 2024 at 924 W. Walnut St., with the bigger space expected to feature an expanded menu and a bigger team of part-time staff. (Jon Chiu/The Morning Call)
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Owner Sophie Vandecasteele smiles Tuesday, July 14, 2026, during the opening ceremony for Sophistiqué’s new location at 960 Hamilton St. in Allentown. The bakery was originally opened in November 2024 at 924 W. Walnut St., with the bigger space expected to feature an expanded menu and a bigger team of part-time staff. (Jon Chiu/The Morning Call)
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Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
Palace Pizza Bar & Grill: The four-decade-old restaurant closed July 10 at 3690 Lehigh St. in Whitehall Township.
The New Santiago’s Restaurant: The restaurant announced it will reopen July 27 at 125 S. Third St (Route 309) in Coopersburg after wind damage forced it to close.
Chicken Salad Chick: The restaurant chain will hold a grand opening of its first Pennsylvania location on Aug. 4 at the Airport Shopping Center in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
Sheetz: A new convenience store for the chain opened Thursday at 1740 Main St. in Hellertown, the first one for the borough.
The Steel Pub: The pub announced it would be sold to new owners at 320 E. First St. in Bethlehem.
Star Park: The indoor playground announced it would have a ribbon cutting Aug. 8 at the South Mall in Salisbury Township following its soft opening in late June.
Change in ownerships
AEC Market: After opening in September, former owner Alyssa Mengel said the market would close at 2374 Seiptstown Road in Weisenberg Township as part of a change in ownership.
New owner Nici Kleffel will take over the Hamburg location in August, it was announced online.
Mengel said she had always planned “to be small but have enough to be busy,” and that the business’s sudden success took away time from her family.
“I was working seven days a week, I wasn’t home for dinner, I wasn’t home for bedtime [or] bath time, I missed softball games,” she said. “And so my daughter actually expressed to me that she missed me … and so did my husband, and so it kind of rearranged my priorities. I started this business so that way I could spend more time with my family. I could integrate them into the business. I could set something up that way when they were older, they could take it over, but it actually turned into me being home less.”
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.