Meet Frances Coffey of The Pastry Depot in West Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Frances Coffey.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Frances. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been working in the restaurant industry since I was 16 years old. I started out with a catering company (prepping boxed lunches for 3000 people) and worked my way up to head pastry chef at a prestigious country club here in Atlanta GA.

Two years ago I decided to try something different and I got a job with a local distributor. I really enjoyed meeting new chefs, going to food shows, and finding new products. I also continued to cater events for family and friends but realized after leaving the professional kitchen that there was nowhere for me to purchase professional grade products from anymore. That’s when I decided to open The Pastry Depot.

I knew there were a lot of chefs like me who had left the industry and would love to have access to professional products again. I also knew that with social media, there was now a demand for pastry hobbyists to have a source for professional grade products as well. Every day I have friends and family asking me how to make a certain product or how to perform a certain technique. Before, there was no way for me to show them. Now, there is.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s definitely been a learning experience. From trying to find the perfect location, vendors, and bring in the newest products from Europe that the Atlanta market has never seen before or had access to. It’s also been a lot of fun learning this side of the industry. I really feel this will help the chefs of Atlanta. I’ve felt for quite some time we’ve been forgotten about.

Please tell us about The Pastry Depot.
We are a professional grade pastry product retail store that is open to the public. Both professional chefs and pastry hobbyist are our number one customers.

We specialize in everything pastry. We sell professional tools, molds, fruit purees, frozen (iqf) fruit, macarons, croissant, Danish, premium coverture chocolate, chocolate garnishes, pre made tart shells, sugar decor, cake decorating products, and more.

As a company I’m most proud of the support I have been able to provide our Atlanta pastry chefs. Everyone loves to shop, pastry chefs are no different. I love that they now have somewhere to look at molds for inspiration in creating a new dessert or new flavors to incorporate in to their new menus.

I also love that the pastry hobbyist now have somewhere to shop to take their hobby to a whole new level. I noticed through social media that the pastry hobbyist are very talented and they’ve been accomplishing some amazing stuff with products they’ve found in the grocery store. I can’t wait to see what they start producing now with the products they have access to at our store.

What sets us apart is the fact that you can actually come in our store and see products before you purchase them. You don’t have to guess on the size of a tart shell or mold in a catalog and take a chance (hoping it is the size you wanted) ordering it anymore. You also don’t have to be a professional industry chef or business owner to come in and shop. You can still purchase the same Belgian chocolate the professionals use, etc.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I probably would’ve majored in Business instead of Biology when I was in college. LOL. Honestly everything has come out perfect. I don’t think there is anything I would change. I’m very happy with our store and every lesson we’ve learned along the way. Knowledge is power, and every lesson has given me more knowledge that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1430 Chattahoochee Ave NW
  Atlanta, GA 30318
• Website: www.thepastrydepot.com
• Phone: 4044583194
• Email: sales@thepastrydepot.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_pastry_depot
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepastrydepotatlanta

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.