Toronto bakery known for internet-famous croissants has closed permanently
A Toronto bakery that makes some of the most eye-catching and internet-breaking croissants in the city has officially closed down.
There's no small number of spots in Toronto where you can get your hands on croissants that rival those sitting in the windows of Parisian patisseries, but, for the past six years, few bakeries have made quite as large a splash as Queen West's Geste.
A creative project inspired by revered French chef Alain Passard's concept of the trained hand as a tool of artistry, Geste churns out some of the best — and most visually stunning — croissants in Toronto, both at its Queen West flagship and through several local cafes it wholesales to.
Across the bakery's years in business, its creations have frequently found themselves the subjects of online attention, from the XXL croissants that weigh in at 1 kg to the spliced cookie-croissant concoctions.
Still, as we've witnessed time and time again with increasing regularity, it's tough, even in the best of circumstances, to keep a business alive amid soaring overheads. For Geste, it's become unrealistic to keep up the bakery's retail presence.
In an Instagram post shared on Sunday, Feb. 22, the bakery confirmed that it would be closing its Queen West retail location on Monday, Feb. 23.
"Running a storefront has been a beautiful chapter, but to grow sustainably and do what we do best, we're shifting our energy behind the scenes," the post reads.
It's not all bad news, though. While Geste's retail presence in the city is gone, the bakery's wholesale operation remains alive and well, providing flaky, laminated delights to a series of cafes in the city.
"You'll still find our baked goods, just in new locations," the post explains. "Thank you for being part of our journey so far."
Now that Geste's Queen Street storefront is closed, you can find the bakery's treats at Highly Likely, Rooster Coffee, Sister Sister Coffee Bar, Now & Later, Reply Coffee and Goppion Caffe.
Geste was formerly located at 1183 Dundas St. W.
Hector Vasquez
