UPDATE: Menu info and slated opening date for new Epcot French Bakery And new ice cream shop! Plus, new name for Bistro de Paris will be “Monsieur Paul” — a fitting tribute to Chef Paul Bocuse!
While nothing is yet confirmed by Disney directly on this, we’ve got some GREAT potential news for those who love the France Boulangerie et Patisserie in Epcot (which, coincidentally, won our Bakery Throw Down!)
In a Notice of Commencement filed with Orange County on February 23, 2012, Walt Disney’s Operations Development department indicates that the bakery in Epcot’s France pavilion will be undergoing an expansion! Let’s hope for a more efficient queue as well as ample seating!
Seating Outside the Bakery in France
Proposed Improvements
The description of improvements specify that the France bakery will involve two floors, an over 3000 sq. ft. kitchen, Cast rest rooms and a break room, and relocation of the QSR. (I’m guessing this means Quick Service Restaurant).
The contractor, Whiting-Turner Construction, has previously worked on projects at Walt Disney World locations including Pleasure Island, the T-Rex Cafe in Downtown Disney, Yak & Yeti in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the House of Blues in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District.
This filing names the owner of the France bakery as JBI, Inc., which is owned by French Chef Jerome Bocuse. He also has ownership in the France pavilion table-service restaurants Les Chefs de France and Bistro de Paris.
What do YOU hope will change at the France Bakery? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia and StitchKingdom.com.
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As long as the Napoleon stays, I’m all for it!! I definitely think expanding the space will be a great thing for Boulangerie!
Agreed. As long as the menu items stay (and other things added), I’ll be happy. We had our BEST QS lunch there-ham & cheese croissants, me a huge cream puff & dh the napoleon!! Will definitely be heading back there in the future.
I love some of the treats there, but like many i’ve talked to the line can be a deterrent when we want a quick (but tasty) snack! With these improvements hopefully that will change!
I would love to see an entire new building on the lagoon, like the Rose & Crown Pub or La Hacienda de San Angel. And perhaps a ticketed dessert event on the second floor for Illuminations, like the one at Tomorrowland Terrace.
I always love stopping for a baguette & cheese plate here – as long as that stays around, that’d be fine by me!
Quicker access to my strawberry tart!!
Sara — Love that Napoleon!
rcsilverspring — Thanks for the review! Those cream puffs are amazing!
Adhi — Agreed; it does get crowded in there, and the seating is minimal!
Marcus — I love the idea of the dessert event on the second floor! Very cool!
Jasmine — YUM cheese plate!!
Katie — Ha ha! Good point!
Seating, seating, seating…. It’s been #1 on my wish list at Epcot-World Showcase in general for years now.
BTW, on recommendation of this site, we tried the strawberry gelato sundae at Italy yesterday. after the 5K (hee hee )) WOW!!! Fantastic. Bit pricy at $ 9.50, but it was reallllly good!!!
Frank
Expansion would be great. But, I hope they keep an outdoor patio. It gives you the feel of the small outdoor cafes that Paris and France are famous for. Even that little narrow patio that is there now (if you can get a seat) can be very romantic. A glass of wine, a nice pastry on a drizzly afternoon is very evocative.
Frank — agreed! So glad you tried the Coppa Delizia — it’s amazing, right? 🙂 Congrats on the 5K!
Alan — Such a good point on keeping the outdoor patio!
I don’t mind queuing outside when it’s busy but the battle for tables (please don’t get your table while someone else in your party joins the ten minute long queue!!) is something I’d be very happy to see the back of!
daydreamingdisney, I swear I’m not trying to start something, but I cannot see what is wrong with one person holding a table while the other gets in line. You can rest, arrange bags, etc. and then comfortably eat your meal. I totally agree with you about the long lines though! 🙂
>>agreed! So glad you tried the Coppa Delizia — it’s amazing, right? Congrats on the 5K! <<
Thx AJ… You are right. We got LOTS of looks and a bunch of "where did you get THAT!!!"
Btw, has there been a "recent" comparison of Le Chefs de France and the upstairs Bistro.
Had lunch recently at Le Chefs. Very good. Still annoyed that they are the only ones who ask for ID every time I want to use a credit card to pay. I really have no issue with that, but they always want to take the ID "somewhere." I've refused to have it leave my hand. Manager or someone eventually comes over. If the place wasn't that enjoyable I'd not go back. But I really do love going. Haven't eaten at the Bistro in years.
Frank
If we get the Marvelous back, that would be even better!!!!
Lee and daydreamingdisney — My husband and I have this fight all the time. I always want to save a table, and he always says not to. He (logically) points out that during the time we’re in the line, someone likely could have sat down, eaten their meal, and left in time for us to get the table (or at least if tables aren’t being saved, they’ll stagger properly enough so that more people can get tables). I’m assuming Disney’s done research on this and proven it to be the case, but I get all stressed out when I think I’m not going to get a table! ;-D
Frank — I love Les Chefs; it’s been great the past two times I’ve been. I liked Bistro, but wasn’t as impressed with it as I was with Chefs! 🙂
Emma — Hear hear!! 🙂
AJ,
>> I always want to save a table, and he always says not to. <,
I always save a table if possible.
Frank
Frank — I’m coming to sit with you! ;-D
HDLady — I LOVE those Napoleons! And great idea on a vanilla eclair!
Any word on when they will be starting? I would hate to miss anything from here! Love, love, love all the pastries!
Susie — No word on when the expansion will be starting, but we have heard that there’s a crane over there now.
we are Disney vacation clubers since 1996 we visit at lease once a year, Disney france is a very SPECIAl, it has charm it’s, romantic, it’s magical. Don’t change a thing we LOVE it.
that would be great to make the bakery larger, but do not change the outside look with the tables and the brick street it is just so quaint.