See La Pâtisserie Française in Louisville sweet treats
La Pâtisserie Française in the Highlands serves homemade sweets daily. Here’s a taste of what to expect if you visit.
Of three bakeries that opened on Bardstown Road in 2024, only La Pâtisserie Française remains.The owner credits clever, eye-catching signs for helping the business stand out.La Pâtisserie Française offers over 100 menu items, including sweet pastries and savory sandwiches.Popular items include croissants, the Jambon Et Fromage sandwich, and opera cake.
In the second half of 2024, three bakeries opened within a 1.3-mile stretch on Bardstown Road in the Highlands.
As of late 2025, both Oddbird Bakery, 1021 Bardstown Road, and Beehive Bakery, 1613 Bardstown Road, have been closed for months, leaving only one of those sweet shops remaining.
Charlie Reed, who owns La Pâtisserie Française, wonders if his signs have anything to do with why his business is still going strong.
The outdoor signs often have a glossy black background and yellow gold lettering to match the French pastry shop’s paint job. Reed usually swaps the signs every month or so for a new message.
Some come with a simple phrase, like the sign for La Pâtisserie’s one-year anniversary in July. It read: “Chasing delicious” in big letters and “Life is better with a baguette” in smaller font. Others are more creative. In February, a Valentine’s Day-inspired message read, “Yo Romeo, time to step up.”
And a recent one asks this question of passersby: “Who’s your sugar daddy?” Underneath, the sign promises it’s “just kidding.”
An arrow then points down to what La Pâtisserie is really promoting. For a breakfast special, patrons can get any coffee and breakfast pastry for just $6.
These messages are meant to turn heads, Reed told the Courier Journal. Reed guesses that he sees thousands of vehicles per day pass by La Pâtisserie, which sits at the intersection of Midland Avenue and Bardstown Road.
“You have one to three seconds to catch the eye of someone while they’re driving by,” he said. “If I can put something on there that catches the eye, maybe, just maybe, you’ll want to stop here.”
Beyond clever signs, Reed’s collection of more than 100 menu items also keep customers coming back.
While the shop is known for croissants, including almond, chocolate, and ham and cheddar, as well as Danish pastries, tarts, cookies and cakes, La Patisserie also offers savory breakfast and lunch options.
Among the most popular choices, you’ll find a take on a classic French sandwich. Reed composes the Jambon Et Fromage with super-thin slices of ham and Gruyere cheese, lots of butter, heirloom tomato and arugula, all served on a toasted, freshly-made baguette.
Other sandwiches include one made with liver butter pâté, a French dip, and smoked turkey on a croissant. Most of the time, patrons who enjoy lunch at La Pâtisserie also grab a sweet treat, such as a macaron or chocolate box or piece of opera cake, before leaving. And if they need a reason to come back another day, Reed’s next sign might try to spell it out.
“It’s pretty nice the way people show up with their guests from out of town and they want to see the pastry shop,” Reed said. “I think it’s something that they’re proud of. That’s pretty cool to have here in the Highlands.”
La Pâtisserie Française, 1355 Bardstown Road, is open 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
We featured La Pâtisserie Française in the latest installment of our series, “Best Thing I Ate This Week.” You can follow along by visiting Instagram.com/courierjournal.
Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com
Dining and Cooking