Butter & Crumble, the pop-up bakery famous for its pastries, is all set to open a permanent location in North Beach at 271 Francisco Street on October 25. The journey of its founder, Sophie Smith, from a small kitchen in her apartment to a full-scale bakery, has been a complex one.
The new bakery is located in the previously owned Tante Marie's Cooking School. As per SF Eater, this 1,300-square-foot location not only meets the demand for baked goods but can also serve as a venue to teach croissant-making classes in the future.
Following the information on their website, the business evolved through shared commercial spaces which benefitted restaurants struggling during the pandemic. This gave her experience in running all facets of her bakery, from staffing to website design.
To enhance her baking abilities, Smith spent two months in Paris learning pastry making and interning at Boulangerie Baptiste. She returned to the US to create a separate bakery space known as "Sweet Easy" at a Marina popup bar, with the help of pastry assistant Nicki Volante. Very quickly it built a reputation and became trendy among the locals.
Their upcoming North Beach location was built with extensive contributions from their patrons who funded through SMBX and offered help in design and contractor introductions, as stated by SF Eater.
In the new bakery, customers will find top favorites, including the bacon, egg, and cheese croissant, and sweet variations like pistachio and cardamom sugar croissant, pain au chocolat, and chocolate chip cookies. Seasonal extravagances like cruffins, savory danishes, and gluten-free and vegan items are equally a part of the menu.
Besides baked goods, the bakery will also feature a retail shop that sells ceramics from Altar Ceramics, bouquets by Julie Enright of Urban Virgo Flower Truck & Events, plants from That SF Plant Guy, and greeting cards from Missive. Keeping Tante Marie's Cooking School's spirit alive, the shop has preserved the ceiling-mounted cooking demonstration mirror and a few original decorations, such as a metal whisk on the door.
Located near Washington Square Park, Smith hopes that customers will enjoy their bakery products while taking a walk in the beautiful neighborhood.
