The Gulch is about to get a serious croissant contender. Olala Cafe, a French bakery and restaurant from a father-and-son team, is moving into a roughly 4,000-square-foot space at 818 Palmer Place, with plans to build a menu around made-from-scratch croissants. The concept pairs a Parisian-style dining room with a terrace and a private room, and the owners are targeting an April opening that would cover everything from early pastry runs to laid-back dinners.
Family Team Aims For The Best Croissant
According to What Now Nashville, Arnaud will run the business side while his son Mathis takes charge in the kitchen. Arnaud is not exactly shy about his ambitions. "We are aiming to bring here in Nashville the best croissant in town," he told the outlet, setting the bar squarely at the top from day one.
Where To Find Them Online
Olala's online ordering page already lists the 818 Palmer Pl address and a contact number, and it currently notes that the cafe is accepting scheduled orders. That detail suggests the team is quietly gearing up local pickup and timed service ahead of the full launch. As shown on Olala Cafe's site, a menu placeholder is in place, waiting for the full lineup of bakery items once service officially begins.
Kitchen Pedigree And The Plan
Mathis brings some serious pastry credentials to the project. He trained at France's Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie and has worked in pastry programs for Pierre Hermé, the Mandarin Oriental, and Miami's MILA, according to What Now Nashville. The outlet reports that the menu will lean hard into French pastries, with both sweet and savory croissants and pain au chocolat prepared on site. The layout is set to include a main dining room, a private room, and a terrace, with furniture being shipped in from France to complete the look.
Hiring And Timeline
An Indeed job posting for Olala Cafe advertises a full-time baker and pastry cook position with a "starting date beginning of April" and a $20 per hour rate, which lines up with the planned spring opening. The posting highlights early-morning pastry production and duties centered on croissant and pastry prep, very much in line with a bakery-first operation.
If Olala opens on schedule, it will bring a Parisian-flavored bakery to The Gulch's already busy dining mix and help fill a niche for both morning pastries and casual bistro-style meals. We will update this space with confirmed opening dates and the full menu once the team locks in the details.
