Arlington will soon get a taste of France, as Colette Bakery prepares to open its fourth Boston-area location.
The family-run French bakery and café is taking over the former Symmes Mini-Mart at 681 Massachusetts Avenue, reports Boston Restaurant Talk. Once open, the Arlington shop will join Colette’s existing locations in Medford, Melrose, and Boston’s South End.
Founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife team Nathalie and Franck Beddiar, Colette grew from the couple’s love of French baking and their roots in the South of France. After moving from Toulouse to the Boston area in 2017, the Beddiars turned that shared passion into a family-run bakery, with inspiration from their friend Gérard Levant, a former baker and master of Éric Kayser.
Today, that family spirit is woven throughout the business. Nathalie and Franck’s son, Valentin, serves as pastry chef, while their daughter, Clémentine, helps manage the growing operation.
“We established our bakery in Medford, inspired by its proximity to Boston and its atmosphere, being a place for families to reunite, that reminds us of modern French towns,” reads the Colette website. “As a family business, our main focus is to create desserts and pastries that can bring people together, and to share our French savoir-faire.”
Nathalie told What Now Boston that the Arlington location will offer the same authentic French menu Colette fans know from its other shops, including fresh, house-made artisan breads, classic French viennoiseries, delicate pastries, quiches, and traditional Parisian sandwiches. A wide selection of coffee and other beverages will also be available.
The new patisserie, however, will offer something Colette’s other locations don’t: a dedicated place to sit and linger. The Arlington shop will have seating for about 20 guests, creating a more spacious café experience where customers can settle in with a pastry and a cup of coffee.
“The idea for this new location is to create a true French café atmosphere—a place where people can sit down and enjoy a coffee with a croissant or pastry,” explained Nathalie.
An official opening date has not yet been set, but the Beddiars hope to welcome customers with a grand opening before the end of September 2026. The Colette Bakery team has already begun hiring for the Arlington location, and anyone interested in joining the team can send a résumé to [email protected].
“We’re very excited to become part of the Arlington community and can’t wait to welcome everyone!” Nathalie said.
