GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A new business is opening along Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids, and it's a team of sisters who are making it happen. Their mission is to bring a bit of their French heritage to West Michigan.
Called the Chartreuse Sisters, the café features classic desserts like eclairs and madeleines, and many of the options are a French-American fusion.
13 ON YOUR SIDE got an inside look at the café on Thursday.
The Chartreuse Sisters are working out of a historic building that used to be a drug store. The building has been around since 1970, and required a lot of work to renovate the area while keeping its history preserved. Now, they're excited to be breathing new life into the building.
"So my sister and I have traveled a bit we've gone around, you know, we've decided to make Grand Rapids our home, which we weren't sure in the beginning. But we love Grand Rapids," said co-owner Alyson Caillaud-Jones. "And so the idea of bringing a little piece of ourselves from our French heritage to Grand Rapids is really exciting."
Thursday was the culmination of more than three years of work. The sisters faced some challenges due to the pandemic, but with things finally opening up, it's really an emotional day for both of them.
"This is kind of an idea in our mind, and to see it actually come to fruition and have people come in this space and finally be able to taste our beverages and our French pastries at their full potential. Really excited," said Caillaud-Jones.
The Chartreuse Sisters will also serve beverages. Not only do they have coffee and tea, but they also have non-alcoholic cocktails, which is a great option if you're trying to swear off alcohol for the New Year or participate in Dry January.
The soft opening is being held until 5 p.m. Thursday. The store will also reopen Friday from noon to 5 p.m. At this time, only takeout is offered. They will officially open on Jan. 14.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.