Twenty-two-year-old Chloë Chadet holds a full-time position in the commissary kitchen at St. Germain French Bakery. Then, in the evenings Thursday through Saturday, she and her mom, Christelle, run an “after-hours” business called Viennoiseries After Dark. “When a bakery shuts down, that’s when we open up,” says Chloë.
The reason for creating a nighttime business is two-fold. One, they both have day jobs (Christelle works in commercial real estate); two, “I always get my cravings in the evening for pastries,” Christelle says.
The two had the idea for the business in August of last year after returning from a family trip to France where they had obsessed over pastries. Christelle is French and moved to the States 30 years ago, but still visits several times a year. Chloë grew up going during school breaks, and became a self-taught baker after observing the pastry traditions of her mother’s native country. “A week after we came home, I went to get Chloë a business license and said we should get started,” Christelle says.
Viennosieries After Dark offers madelines, croissants, pain au chocolat, and tarts, all items that fall under viennoiseries, the French word for pastries or breads using leavened or laminated dough. Customers can place orders for delivery Thursday through Saturday each week. Delivery times depend on what the two have going on that week, so as not to overload Chloë.
The duo delivers each order by hand within 15 miles of their licensed cottage kitchen in Vinings, although they do make exceptions. In addition to nighttime deliveries, Chloë often wakes up at 3 a.m. to fulfill breakfast catering orders by 8 a.m. for Viennoseries After Dark.
Everything at Viennoiseries After Dark is done the traditional way. “It can be hard on my body; I don’t use any other machines other than a Kitchen-Aid,” Chloë says. She laminates the dough by hand, which is a two- to three-day process. “I want to make sure the layers are in there.” The result is a buttery, flaky croissant that tastes rich yet light, especially when delivered warm with a petite pot of Bonne Maman jam.
Christelle enjoys making pastries but sees the business as more of a way to bond with her daughter and support her dreams. “I want to spend as much time with her as I can,” says Christelle. “This is for her ambition. I believe in her idea.”
