Our Story
Meet the passionate duo behind French 50 Bakery, Brad and Marie-Luce. Their journey into the world of baking is a story that unfolds with love, dedication, and a passion for sharing good food with the community.
It all started experimenting with homemade pizza dough as a Friday night dinner ritual. That evolved into making naturally fermented bread, when they realized from many trips to France, that traditional baking was not easily found in Southern Alberta. With a deep connection to French culture, cooking and language, they founded French 50 Bakery as a means to share amazing bread with friends and family.
Farmers Market Adventure (2018)
In 2018, Brad and Marie-Luce took their baking to local farmers' markets, introducing the community to their artisanal sourdough bread. The response was overwhelming, igniting their determination to share this passion with Okotoks and Southern Alberta.
Driven by their vision, they took the next step and rented a space on North Railway Avenue. French 50 Bakery opened its first brick & mortar in June of 2019, with limited hours on Saturday's only. Although only open one day a week, there were over 50 hours that went into prepping and baking for that weekend's bake. Brad & Marie-Luce quickly realized that their vision of selling bread and serving up small dishes & coffee, could not be done with 3 people. Today over 30 people work at French 50 Bakery.
From House to Bakery, but always a Home
In June of 2022 Brad and Marie-Luce acquired a 110-year-old historic home in the Okotoks downtown district on Elma Street, breathing new life into its walls. The home was originally owned by the Lineham family, with John Lineham being one of Okotoks first Mayors. After a year long renovation, they restored this historic space into a full service cafe, brunch & breakfast gem, with an evening dinner service focused on artisan pizza. What started as a Saturday morning coffee pop-up has now evolved into the vibrant community gathering spot that it is today. Come visit us at home!
