For many foodies, the trek to San Francisco for delicious treats is a common one, marked by the breadth and excellence of dessert shops in the city. However, Palo Altans will no longer have to travel across the Bay in order to snag their favorite sugary delights. Popular pastry spot Tout Sweet Patisserie will be arriving on the Palo Alto culinary scene in a few weeks with a new location in Town and Country Village.
Tout Sweet Patisserie is the first chain of stores opened by celebrity pastry chef Yigit Pura. Pura bursted on to the pastry scene in 2010 after winning the first season of the cooking competition “Top Chef: Just Desserts.” Pura was also chosen as Fan Favorite in the inaugural season of the spin-off. He recently published a cookbook, “Sweet Alchemy,” based on several of the popular signature items at Tout Sweet Patisserie.
As a child, Pura moved from Ankara, Turkey to San Francisco. Pura spent much of his childhood cooking with his mother and thus, he cites her early influence as a strong reason for why he took up cooking as a profession. The shop itself is a homage to French cafes and traditional pastry cooking.
The first Tout Sweet shop, located at Union Square in San Francisco, opened in 2012. Since its opening, Pura has been focusing on expanding the brand. According to Kevin Kopjack, the public relations director for Tout Sweet, Palo Alto was a natural step for Tout Sweet’s sophomore location.
Tout Sweet has also shown interest in expanding its franchise internationally into China and Japan. He hopes to bring his delicious desserts to a new audience.
“We have a large clientele from the Peninsula that currently shop in our store in San Francisco,” Kopjack said. “All the patisserie items that guests have had to drive to San Francisco to get are now going to be available for them in a closer location.”
Pura reiterates the excitement of bringing his popular desserts across the Bay, on behalf of Tout Sweet Patisserie.
“Thanks to the loyalty of our fans, I am thrilled to be able to bring Tout Sweet Patisserie to Silicon Valley,” Pura said. “Silicon Valley embodies what we cherish most at Tout Sweet – innovation and a modern perspective in creating something unique. The San Francisco Bay Area has given us the gift of their loyalty and we look forward to being able to serve sweet people of the Peninsula.”The new location will continue to offer the popular treats that brought success to Tout Sweet Patisserie in San Francisco.
The decadent pastries include “dessert sauces, artisanal jams, macadamia and almond nibbles, pâte de fruit, marshmallows, nutty brittles and meringue kisses,” according to the website. Many of the popular treats are available for purchase online as well.
The Palo Alto location will also offer new products not currently sold at the San Francisco location. According to Kopjack, the shop will be selling frozen cookie dough and pie crusts, allowing customers to bring Tout Sweet into their own kitchens.
The Town and Country Village location is a stark contrast to the San Francisco version, which is located on the third floor of Macy’s in Union Square. Constraints with the 700 square foot space have forced deviations from the San Francisco set-up.
“[The Palo Alto location] is a much smaller shop than the San Francisco location,” Kopjack said. “We will not have seating nor will we be offering savory items.”
According to Kopjack, the store was initially scheduled to open in early November. Palo Altans can now expect to try Tout Sweet Patisserie shortly prior to Thanksgiving.
