April 22, 2026

Let them eat cake

What’s a Parisian bakery doing in Rock Hill?

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Almond, chocolate, and plain croissants crowd into the case next to a pile of caneles, the French classic from Bordeaux with a custardy center and glazed outer crust/ Photos by Kathleen Purvis
Almond, chocolate, and plain croissants crowd into the case next to a pile of caneles, the French classic from Bordeaux with a custardy center and glazed outer crust/ Photos by Kathleen Purvis
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By Kathleen Purvis
Avatar photo
By Kathleen Purvis

Charlotte is a sprawling urban area. Sometimes, if you want the best food finds, you need to get out of town. That’s how I ended up discovering a taste of Paris on a busy highway in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The smell of butter alone is worth the trip.—K.P.

On Cherry Road in Rock Hill, in a run-down strip shopping center in front of a bingo hall and a thrift store, there’s a small building that was once home to a bank branch. It doesn’t look like much. 

 
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