Paris-based bakery brand Maison Kayser has decided to shut down its branches in Washington, D.C., which are located at 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW and at 1345 F Street NW, after only 17 months of operation.
According to Eater D.C., both stores in the District will close on Friday, August 16.
Maison Kayser has been running branches in the U.S. since August 2012. The first one started business on the Upper East Side in New York City, where there are 17 Maison Kayser’s now. The D.C. locations opened last year.
Some D.C. residents expressed disappointment over the closure decision via Twitter messages.
https://twitter.com/2ndtimehere/status/1157341950594473984?s=20
It was founded by French baker and food writer Eric Kayser, who opened his first store in Paris in 1996. The brand currently has more than 200 locations around the world. In addition to 28 in Paris, it has places in many countries such as Cambodia, Chile, Greece, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and others.
The company customizes its product line based on the local tastes and flavors of every country.
“Each Maison Kayser location around the world is organized in the pure tradition of the French Bakery. The most ancestral techniques are combined to produce bread, including the use of liquid leaven, and innovation with the most high performance, modern, state-of-the-art bakery equipment,” the company’s website says.
Regarding the Maison Kayser locations in NYC, the company states that most of them have a French style sit-down café “that offer a wide selection of Eric’s favorite savory prepared dishes,” in addition to “an artisanal French bakery retail shop.”
The place is also known for its gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches, and entrees, aside from its croissants and cakes.