Roselle, the bright and cozy French-inspired bakery, announced last Thursday that they will be closing one of their two Toronto locations. Unfortunately, west-enders will no longer be able to visit the Queen and Dovercourt location, as they have decided to shut it down amidst difficulty and uncertainty related to COVID-19.
The bakery is owned and operated by Stephanie Duong and Bruce Lee, a charming couple who got together while working in Parisian fine-dining establishments and decided to bring their passion for French food and excellence home to Toronto.
Their first location opened up in Corktown in 2015 to the delight of dessert-lovers across the city, baking up luscious tarts, eclairs, cookies and impossibly-smooth soft serve ice cream. After receiving massive support and success from the city, they decided to open up their west end location in 2019, converting a former art gallery into the bright, inviting and pastel-adorned space. Kitchen expansion was a primary goal with the Dovercourt spot, allowing them to introduce viennoiserie, traditionally sweet, leavened pastry items that are often enjoyed in the morning. This helped the business to expand even further and offer a more diverse and unique range of product, drawing in delighted fans from both ends of the city.
For the past few months, Roselle has been operating with a popup-only model, taking orders on a weekly basis and pivoting their offerings to accommodate a more takeout-friendly style, including cake-in-a-cup, cookie dough, tarts and other prepared pastries. Although this has been working successfully for them, they have begun to navigate their new business reality and as such, decided that the best approach moving forward is to operate out of the single space of their King East location. Steph and Bruce cited their gratitude and fond memories of the west end bakery and are remaining optimistic for the future of Roselle, despite their operations slimming down slightly.
The good news is that Roselle is still open at 362 King St. E, so make sure to place an order from them, show your support and try some of the most decadently delicious (and authentic) French-inspired pastries that our city has to offer!
