Amélie’s French Bakery in Uptown Charlotte will reopen in late May after a full interior renovation.
Flashback:Amélie’s closed its 14,000-square-foot bakery at 380 S. College St. in November 2020 because of pandemic-related challenges. The Uptown bakery had been open since 2015.
- The Uptown location, at the base of the Two Wells Fargo building, was the largest of the five Amélie’s bakeries. Popular with lunch crowds, the restaurant/cafe served sandwiches, soups and salads, coffees, teas, beer and wine at its bar, and a large assortment of the types of pasties for which Amélie’s is famous — including salted caramel brownies.
Why it matters: Uptown restaurants and cafes have struggled as workers who once spent their days in office towers have instead opted to work remotely. A return to in-person work has provided a boost to the businesses that depend on the daytime crowd.
What to expect: Amélie’s is getting a full interior makeover that includes:
- New flooring
- A private catering/event space
- A revamped dining room
- A dedicated pick-up section for lunch
- A new ordering system
Of note: Amelie’s Uptown will be open for limited hours at first.
Zoom out: Amélie’s first opened in 2008 on North Davidson, a 24/7 cafe known for its whimsical French decor and blue-striped walls. Over the years, the bakery expanded to locations in Rock Hill, Carmel Commons and Park Road Shopping Center.
- Last year, the bakery relocated its flagship North Davidson location to a fresh space in an old art gallery building on 36th Street.
- Southern Living recently named Amélie’s “The Best Best Bakery in North Carolina.”
What they’re saying: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the customer support and anticipation of our return to the heart of Charlotte. After a long delay due to Covid, we are under construction to reopen one of our staple bakeries,” said Amelie’s operations director Justy Martinez.
The architect of the project is Fortis.
