New Bakery in Regent Square Hopes to Be Open for the Holidays

With French pastries, French influences, and a French name to boot, Pittsburgh bakers and husband and wife duo Abigail and Andrew Stump are bringing a classic bakery to the Regent Square area.

Their goals for the space – named Madeleine Bakery & Bistro – are to keep things simple, and be a resource for the neighborhood.

For Abigail and Andrew, the opening of this space is the realization of a lifelong dream, especially for Andrew, who has been working in kitchens since his teens.

“I remember telling my Mom when I was 12 that all I wanted to do was own a small bakery. It has really become a dream of both of ours,” says Andrew

Since he moved to Pittsburgh in 2010, Andrew has worked in kitchens around the city, including the popular Five Points Artisan Bakeshop in Squirrel Hill.  Andrew will bringing some of the techniques he learned at Five Points to the space, as well as other skills he has gained through years of cooking.

Instead of trying to keep up with the trends, Madeleine hopes to keep things classic. The current plan is to supply the neighborhood with bakery staples like sourdough bread, croissants, chocolate chip cookies, and of course, their namesake Madeleine cookies.

“I don’t want it to be trendy,” says Andrew. “I want to do classic bakery items really well.”

The couple hopes that the interior of the bakery will have seating for at least a dozen guests. They will serve sandwiches on fresh bread with high quality ingredients. They also are working on putting together a locally sourced coffee and tea program.

As the current aim is to have Madeleine Bakery & Bistro open for the holidays, they will also sell seasonal pies and cookies.

In addition to the thoughtful cooking, one of the highlights of the bakery is its stunning building. Situated on the business square on Trenton Avenue, Madeleine Bistro is just one block away from Biddle’s Escape coffee shop. The exterior’s arched walls, and wide windows make the bakery an inviting space for everyone in the city.

As for their plan for the space, Andrew laughs that he is, “not trying to take over the world,” but rather to just be a good neighbor.

“My wife and I are really excited to be part of the community. I just want a place where we can make baked goods we are proud of and that the community can support.”

For people in the neighborhood, this will be the perfect spot to walk over and pick up a loaf for dinner, and perhaps bump into someone you know.

“When it all started would wake up and walk over to the bakery and say, ‘If we weren’t opening this, we would be really excited that somebody else was opening this,’” says Andrew.

Although they still have a few steps ahead of them before Madeleine Bakery & Bistro opens its doors to the public, the team behind it is eager to usher in their friends and neighbors.

“My goal is that someone would tell someone, ‘I’ll meet you at the bakery,’ and they would know where to go to.”

Madeline Bakery & Bistro (609 S. Trenton Avenue)