French bakeries are thriving in unlikely places
Boulangeries are spreading out of town—and onto roundabouts
On a soulless roundabout at a motorway junction, next door to a Burger King and opposite McDonald’s, stands a newcomer to the world of fast-food in France: a boulangerie, or French bakery. With ample parking, the Boulangerie de l’Ovalie, just off the A7 north of Avignon, offers its car-borne customers the staple croissants and baguettes, as well as quiche and snacks. The boulangerie is traditionally a feature of the village square or high street, part of the civic density which urbanists laud in France. Yet now, it is flourishing as an out-of-town drive-in or drive-to experience.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Booming baguettes”
Europe August 19th 2023
- Germany is becoming expert at defeating itself
- Ukraine’s counter-offensive is making progress, slowly
- Poland’s far right could be the next government’s kingmaker
- How Russian prisoners of war see Putin’s invasion
- French bakeries are thriving in unlikely places
- Having shaken off nationalism, Europe risks civilisationalism
From the August 19th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Europe
Russian trainee pilots appear to be hunting Ukrainian civilians
Residents of Kherson are dodging murderous drones
Can the good ship Europe weather the Trumpnado?
Tossed by political storms, the continent must dodge a new threat
Spain’s proposed house tax on foreigners will not fix its shortage
Pedro Sánchez will need the opposition’s help to increase supply
A French-sponsored Ukrainian army brigade has been badly botched
The scandal reveals serious weaknesses in Ukraine’s military command
A TV dramatisation of Mussolini’s life inflames Italy
With Giorgia Meloni in power, the fascist past is more relevant than ever
France’s new prime minister is trying to court the left
François Bayrou gambles with Emmanuel Macron’s economic legacy