By Maesa Procopio
Greenwich is home to an abundance of coffee shops and bakeries throughout town, each one host to its own specialty and allure. Raphaël’s Bakery off Greenwich Ave is one of the town’s most beloved bakery’s, known for their one of a kind daily fresh baked goods, delicious coffee, and immense hospitality.
Upon first arriving, I was immediately offered a chouquette, one of their most popular items and something they encourage all their guests to try—likely the most delicious bite of a sweet I’d ever had. As well as the delicious chouquette, they offer an assortment of puff pastries, cookies, croissants, macarons, and even a variety of savory sandwiches, satisfying all palettes.
After being given a tour of the bakery, I was astonished by how much work gets done in such a small shop. All hands are always on deck, and, for the most part, all of their workstations and all of the employees are visible from the front, providing an added feeling of comfort and trust by permitting the guests a view of everything behind the scenes.
Arriving from France in the early 2000’s with an extensive and passionate history in baking, this family-owned bakery has been ardently serving the Greenwich community for just a few years. This traditional French bakery is family owned and operated by the Dequeker family where multiple generations work to make their growing business a success. Raphaël Dequeker, namesake of the bakery, is a 3rd generation pâtissier.
With a passion for pastries, Raphaël began an apprenticeship with a master chocolatier when he was just sixteen years old. After developing his skills in France, Raphaël, his wife Charlotte, and their three children moved to Greenwich 18 years ago where Raphaël became the head pastry chef at Valbella. Then in December of 2020, the Dequeker family realized a new dream.
Ironically, Raphaël’s opened at a time when most businesses were dying down.
Opening their doors during the height of the pandemic on “December 20th, 2020, originally it was just me, my dad Raphaël, my mom Charlotte, and our baker,” stated eldest son, Kelian. While many businesses were not prepared for the unexpected challenges brought upon by the pandemic, Raphaël went into the business taking these challenges into consideration.
Starting up his business with the challenges of the pandemic in mind allowed for Raphaël to plan accordingly. “Some businesses during covid really struggled, but because we opened during the middle of the pandemic, we were equipped to handle it better I’d say,” Kelian remarked.
From the essential additions to the shop regarding consumer safety, to the small details concerning how they were going to manage the shop, the Dequekers seemed to have it all figured out. Kelian recalled, “we had all the plexiglasses set up, and most of our stuff is take out so we don’t have much seating inside. It’s all quick come and go, so it didn’t really affect us too much.”
The shop opened its doors during a period of less customer activity. Because of this, they did not expect to become quite as busy as they did once Covid regulations were lifted. “We didn’t know how well we were going to do or how well the town was going to receive us,” Kelian said, “so we started small at first and pretty instantly we realized we needed more help.”
In their search for help they decided to ring in assistance from their very own family members. “We got my two brothers to help out,” Kelian added, “we hired my grandma as well, and we got some more help from outside of the family, and business has been booming ever since.”
There is something special and unique about a business that is run by a close-knit family such as theirs. “Working with family is a blessing 99% of the time. It’s been a blessing to have us all together and working as one unit, it’s awesome to see that happen,” added Kelian. With roots originating overseas, their passion for their food and for their customers radiates when walking into the bakery. Instantly you are greeted with warm, smiling faces behind the counter, and this passion clearly translates well to the patrons as they have an extremely loyal clientele
As a token and remembrance of their appreciation for their customers, the bakery features on the side of the wall a compilation of polaroid photos taken by the employees of their regular customers, and right beside it sits a collection of photos of their furry friends as well, providing the space with that much more of a welcoming ambiance.
It is evident that Raphaël and his family care tremendously about not only their family run bakery, but about their clientele as well. I left my lovely visit with a freshly baked baguette, a bag full of chocolates and croissants, and enthusiasm to return. If you haven’t yet, add Raphaël’s to your list of local bakeries to visit and support.
