French bakeries are thriving in unlikely places
Boulangeries are spreading out of town—and onto roundabouts
On a soulless roundabout at a motorway junction, next door to a Burger King and opposite McDonald’s, stands a newcomer to the world of fast-food in France: a boulangerie, or French bakery. With ample parking, the Boulangerie de l’Ovalie, just off the A7 north of Avignon, offers its car-borne customers the staple croissants and baguettes, as well as quiche and snacks. The boulangerie is traditionally a feature of the village square or high street, part of the civic density which urbanists laud in France. Yet now, it is flourishing as an out-of-town drive-in or drive-to experience.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Booming baguettes”
Europe August 19th 2023
- Germany is becoming expert at defeating itself
- Ukraine’s counter-offensive is making progress, slowly
- Poland’s far right could be the next government’s kingmaker
- How Russian prisoners of war see Putin’s invasion
- French bakeries are thriving in unlikely places
- Having shaken off nationalism, Europe risks civilisationalism
From the August 19th 2023 edition
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