The Delmar Loop location of the French-Asian Tous les Jours bakery (6681 Delmar) has been a hit—especially among college students—thanks to fresh-baked best-sellers such as strawberry croissants, “cloud” cream-filled doughnuts, and egg tarts, says co-owner Ethan Lin. He expects the new 30-seat café (14248 Manchester, Suite D) to be equally popular with families from the surrounding West County neighborhoods.
The soft opening on Thursday, October 9, from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. features giveaways that will be announced on the Facebook and Instagram feeds, Lin says. Starting Friday, October 10, the store will be open daily from 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
The Manchester café is among more than 100 Tous les Jours franchises across North America and nearly 1,700 around the world. The menu of fresh breads, pastries, cakes, and sandwiches is inspired by Asian flavors and prepared using French techniques. “They really focus on the quality of the bakery,” Lin says.
Examples of the Asian-inspired delicacies include sweet rice doughnuts (made with glutinous rice flour and red bean paste), sesame doughnuts (made with bread dough and flavored with black sesame and soy sauce), and kimchi croquettes (filled with fermented cabbage, onion, green bell pepper, cellophane noodles, bulgogi marinade, bread crumbs, and other sauces and spices).
The bread menu is an intriguing combination of exotic (taro cream, purple sweet potato, soboro) and traditional (baguettes, raisin bread, whole milk loaves). The sandwiches lean more American, with fillings such as turkey and cheese, jalapeño ham, and tomatoes and mozzarella.
The cakes are individual works of art, especially the layers of flavored sheet cake alternating with the same “cloud” cream filling in the doughnuts. The menu also includes mousse cakes (tiramisu, sweet potato, triple chocolate), buttercream cakes (red velvet, strawberry, mocha), and kid-friendly decorated designs.
Initially, both St. Louis-area locations will offer the same menu, but Lin explains that each café has the flexibility to adjust its menu according to demand. They also offer seasonal items that currently include a pumpkin-cream cheese Danish and “cloud” cream doughnuts filled with pumpkin, maple-pecan, and matcha.
In addition to baked goods, the café offers hot and cold coffees, teas, and blended drinks such as smoothies and Lin’s own favorite, the mocha frappe. There are also seasonal hot and iced beverages such as Pumpkin Spice Matcha, Pumpkin Spice Latte, and Butter Pecan Latte.
The Team
Lin serves as general manager at the Manchester location, representing an ownership group that includes Hong Zheng of Pan-Asian Supermarket, whom SLM interviewed in February about the first local Tous les Jours location. Although much smaller in scale, Pan-Asia Supermarket is also a growing chain, with five locations open now and three more in progress across the central U.S.
Lin has extensive experience within the Manchester grocery store and its in-house restaurants. He’s also been involved in operations at the Delmar Tous les Jours location. “At the first store, we learned a lot, and at this second location, we have experienced employees, so it will go much smoother,” he says.
Lin appreciates the training and support that Tous les Jours provides in every aspect of the business, from safety and health to menu decisions when entering a new market. He was also struck by the highly selective application process to become a franchisee, which he said was much easier with second café because the owners had a proven track record at the Delmar location.
The Atmosphere
The 3,200-square-foot café is the center business in a strip mall along Manchester Road near Highway 141. Brick arches frame tall windows that showcase the bakery displays, whetting customers’ appetites as soon as they approach the doors. Lin emphasizes that everything is baked fresh daily, from classic croissants to honey-cheese mochi pancakes to chocolate-dipped Belgian waffles.
Manchester has an abundance of international eateries and shops, including Pan-Asian Supermarket, just to the south of Tous les Jours— a short walk across the parking lot for Lin and the other co-owners. But there are no other high-end Frensh-Asian bakeries nearby, and Lin is eager to introduce the concept to a new neighborhood.
📍14248 Manchester, Suite D
📞 636-406-2535
⏰Hours: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. daily
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