Doylestown Couple Opens French Pastry Shop

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A local couple is bringing "the jewel of French pastries" to Doylestown.

On Thursday, Nov. 5, Louise and Steven Lee opened the doors of Le Macaron, a French pastry shop at 4 West Oakland Avenue.

The decision to run a small business came after the coronavirus pandemic, but the Lee family appears to have no regrets about their decision to open Le Macaron in downtown Doylestown.

After a long career in corporate marketing, Louise Lee was looking for a change of pace while her husband, Steven, who volunteers as a firefighter with the Doylestown Fire Company and recently joined the Bucks County Dive and Rescue Team, was anxious to begin working after leaving the corporate world to become a stay-at-home father.

Running a franchise seemed like the right fit, and as a French Canadian and Montreal native, Louise Lee was partial to French cuisine.

Founded in 2009, Le Macaron French Pastries is a national chain headquartered in Florida that operates 59 locations nationwide, according to its website. The Doylestown location is the company's first in Pennsylvania.

The downtown space was formerly occupied by Cowgirl Chile Co. Jewelry, which closed more than a year ago. The Lee's signed the lease in February with the intention of opening by May, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed their opening to Thursday, Nov. 5.

Since then, business has been good, Lee says, but she's seen the news reports of COVID-19 cases surging in Bucks County and throughout Pennsylvania.

"It scares me, of course," Lee said. "It's gonna be what it is. I try not to worry too much and hope for the best. We'll go with the flow and take our punches as they come."

Le Macaron offers indoor and outdoor seating, pick-up orders and catering. Hours are Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.