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Maison Benoit, a burgeoning French bakery based in Danville, is opening up a second location in downtown Pleasanton in the new year, its owner confirmed on Wednesday.
Owner Benoit Vialle told the Pleasanton Weekly he is currently in the process of obtaining permits to begin demolition and construction at the former Bank of America building, located at 337 Main St., which closed in August 2024.Â
“I’m hoping that people will be excited to have this be a new place to go to and to hang out in downtown Pleasanton,” he said.
Originally from France, Vialle moved to the United States over two decades ago and settled in the Bay Area around 10 years ago. For most of his professional career he worked at big technology companies like Microsoft, according to his LinkedIn, before pivoting to the wine industry for a few years.
But Vialle said he eventually got the urge to start his own business.
So, after he spent some time at culinary school in France where he met bakers and pastry chefs who he convinced to join him, Vialle opened his bakery, Maison Benoit, on Railroad Avenue in downtown Danville in January 2024.
The classic-style patisserie features a full lineup of pastries, savory dishes, coffee and baked goods like their breads and croissants.
During the past few years, Vialle said his Danville bakery has really cemented itself within the community.
The big, glass windows provide a unique experience where customers can see the chefs and bakers making all of the product, making it a fun attraction for families. He believes the quality of the ingredients and the traditional techniques used to make everything are what keeps people coming back.
One of the reasons Vialle said he chose to open his second bakery Pleasanton is because he senses Pleasanton residents seem to be similar to those in Danville in that they both appreciate good, authentic food.Â
Apart from the food scene, he said he was drawn to downtown Pleasanton because it’s sort of the epicenter for the Tri-Valley and sees foot traffic from across the region.
“Downtown seems to be very lively, very dynamic, and I think attracts people from nearby towns who don’t necessarily have sort of a real downtown like Pleasanton does,” Vialle said. “Even if you’re not a Pleasanton resident, I think you’re more likely to go to Pleasanton for dinner, for breakfast, for lunch.”
“For me that’s having the right population but also having a population size that attracts … which is why I’m going bigger than in Danville,” he added.
Vialle said his main priority in opening a second location is maintaining the same fundamentals and values he set in his first bakery in Danville. Using top quality ingredients, staying true to the authenticity of the final product.
Apart from the products, Vialle said he also wants to be an integral part of the community, which is something he was able to do with his first location in Danville.
“I don’t want to neglect Danville. I think Danville will continue to be a very strong first location for us,” he said. “But (we’re) really trying to match this in Pleasanton and be this fun place where people will come and hang out.”
He said developing those regular customers and being a place where high school students and young people can work their first jobs, get experience in the workforce and even possibly discover a new love for the culinary arts, has been really rewarding, which is why he wants to bring that same energy to Pleasanton.
“The piece that I really cherish the most is having those places become a bit of a staple in the community, so I hope it’s going to be the same thing in Pleasanton as it is in Danville,” Vialle said.
Vialle said while it did take him longer than he wanted, he recently closed on the lease for the new location and has now begun going through the city’s permitting process.
He said the new store will be much larger than his Danville location, will retain a similar design where the kitchen will be viewable through glass windows and will prioritize fresh, quality ingredients. He also said he plans on applying for a liquor license to sell wine and is looking at bringing in new items like freshly made crepes.
However, he said the demolition aspect has been a bit tricky because of the safe in the old bank, which was built inside the building as part of its floor plans. He said the safe is an integral part of the building’s structure, which is why things are dragging a bit in the permitting process.
Still, he said he hopes to be able to open as early as the first quarter of 2027.
