Two French-Korean style bakeries open in Towson’s Uptown

By Zachary Bandler, Contributing Writer

If you had a nickel for every time a French-Korean bakery opened up in Towson over the summer, you would have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

Regardless of the unlikely coincidence, Tous les Jours and Paris Baguette are open for business in Uptown. The two different bakery chains hope to bring their own styles of French-Korean baked goods and café dining to Towson. 

Tous les Jours opened in July at 501 York Road, on the corner across from Ebisu Mini Japan and the Towson Commons building. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week. 

Most of Tous les Jours pastries cost between $3 to $5 and drinks typically between $4 and $7, it comes out to around $10 for breakfast if you get one of each.

With a style leaning more into that of a pâtisserie, a french pastry shop, it should be no shock that Tous les Jours has plenty of sweet treats. Alongside typical staples such as danishes, they also sell Korean-based dishes such as red bean buns and kimchi croquettes. There are takeaway sandwiches and cakes too.

“All of our breads and pastries are baked fresh every day. I think that might be what differs us from others,” Manager Crystal Chen said. 

Tous les Jours is French for “every day,” so the name is appropriate. 

Chen recommended her favorite menu item to first-time customers, the strawberry croissant. 

“I take one home every day,” she said. “It’s fresh strawberries, and the cream is not too sweet, and the croissant is very flaky.”  

Chen suggested that customers should try the cream donuts, which are very popular, and the Sweet Frank Roll for something savory. 

Apart from the French-Korean inspiration, the two bakeries also share the style of how customers buy baked goods. While some items, like cakes and macarons, are behind the counters and need an employee to pack them up, most of the fresh baked goods are in self-service display cases.

Customers grab a tray, tongs and a piece of parchment paper before using the tongs to select their own items from the glass cases. Once they are done picking everything they want, they bring the whole tray to the cashier who checks them out and takes any drink orders.

Paris Baguette opened its doors earlier in the summer in June at 4 W. Towsonton Blvd next to Auntie Anne’s and Raising Cane’s. They are open every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

An average breakfast there comes out to about $9 with most baked goods coming out to around $4 and most beverages around $5.

The sandwiches, wraps and salads it offers also makes Paris Baguette a new lunch option. 

With a style of decor reminiscent of older bakeries, Paris Baguette aims to bring back the feeling of a neighborhood bakery. They also work with local groups to donate daily leftovers to nearby homeless shelters.

General Manager Terrill Chester said her favorite Paris Baguette item is the smoked sausage bread. 

“I eat one every day,” Chester said. “I try not to, but I eat one every day. But that’s my favorite, sweet and savory.”

Chester suggested first-time customers should get the croissant cookie or “crookie” as it’s called, since it’s the bestseller. After that comes the coffee donut and croissant donut. They also serve tarts, breads and mochi donuts, which are donuts made with glutinous rice.

Chester said she wants students to be at home at Paris Baguette.

“It’s going to be a warm feeling,” Chester said. “I feel like this is my home and I want everyone that comes in this restaurant to feel the same way too.”