Bread, simplicity in store at new Belgian bakery in Naperville
The simplicity of a new Naperville bakery — minus the tricky pronunciation of its Belgian name — is what makes Le Pain Quotidien traditionally European and, its staffers say, appealing.
The color scheme is simple, with an emphasis on woods and whites. Small succulents in tiny pots decorate tables also adorned with cookbooks. Turquoise highlights some walls and doors in the space formerly occupied by Naperville General Store and Roseland Draperies and Interiors.
The meaning of the bakery's name is simple; it translates to “The Daily Bread.”
And the bread itself is simple, made with flour, water, salt and time — it takes two days to make each batch of bread.
“That's the way bread was meant to be,” said Jen Kozy, catering and events manager for the bakery and restaurant opening at 7 a.m. Monday at 204 S. Washington St.
Le Pain Quotidien's Naperville spot will be its first in the suburbs after the 29-year-old Belgian-based bakery has established five cafes in Chicago and restaurants across New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Connecticut and Miami.
It features menus for breakfast and brunch, lunch and dinner, with dine-in or take-away options and drinks including coffees and teas.
Bakery staples include the croissants and French cream doughnuts, and standard organic sourdough and gluten-free five-grain breads.
While gluten-free breads have been popular for a decade or more, Kozy said Le Pain Quotidien took its time perfecting its version.
“We waited until we got the recipe right,” she said.
Something not-so-simple, at least to new customers, is the signature tartines, which are open-faced sandwiches. A cartoon on a wall illustrates how to eat a tartine — Kozy said people ordering one for the first time often look from their sandwich to their silverware, unsure. Her advice: keep it simple.
“Just use your fingers and eat it,” she said. “Just be comfortable.”
Each location includes a long communal table where big groups, families or strangers can all find space. The communal table in Naperville features pop-up power plugs, so it can also become a workspace.
“This will bring people to the communal table to get more people talking and connected,” Kozy said.
Prices range $3 to $6 for coffees and teas, $4 to $5 for bakery pastries and $6 to $16 for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner options.