You don’t expect Paris in Omaha. But that’s exactly what Grand Patisserie has been serving out of a modest strip mall near 144th and West Center. Croissants that explode into shards of buttered air. Millefeuille layered with surgical precision. Pavlovas so light they could float out the door.
Now, the bakery that gave West Omaha a reason to wake up early is headed east. Grand Patisserie is opening a second location in Aksarben Village, at 2283 S 67th St, inside the former Rexius Nutrition space.
Omaha Food Magazine reached out to the bakery. A spokesperson confirmed the move but kept expectations realistic: “They don’t have an anticipated opening date. It’s going to be a while off. Opening dates depend on contractors, permits, etc. But they are excited about coming to the Aksarben neighborhood.”
Grand Patisserie in Omaha: Why It Matters
For years, Zied and Rafika Allam have been baking like they had something to prove, and maybe they did. Zied left the corporate grind to chase a passion that started in his childhood kitchen. What began as a pop-up inside Roast in Aksarben turned into a West Center storefront that survived COVID, not because of luck, but because the pastries demanded loyalty.
Now they’re returning to where the pop-up roots took hold: Aksarben.
Brooklyn Riggles, Omaha Food Magazine’s resident critic and croissant devotee, doesn’t mince words: “Grand Patisserie’s croissants are the closest thing Omaha has to Paris. This expansion means we won’t have to explain anymore where to find real French pastry in this city—it’ll be right in the middle of Aksarben.”
What to Expect at a French Bakery
The second Grand Patisserie is still months away. Permits, contractors, and buildout take time. But if the West Omaha location is any indicator, here’s what to anticipate when the doors open:
- Croissants and Pain au Chocolat: buttery, flaky, unapologetically French
- Pavlovas: crisp shells with cream and jam that redefine “light”
- Millefeuille: thousand-layer elegance in pastry and cream
- Weekend Breads: rye sourdough, zaatar-spiced braids, and loaves that sing when you tear into them
- Macarons and Cakes: picture-perfect, occasionally imperfect, but always ambitious
This isn’t “French-style.” This is French technique, executed in Omaha kitchens, with local milk and eggs and a refusal to cut corners.
Locations
? New Location: 2283 S 67th St, Aksarben Village, Omaha, NE
? Current Location: 144th & West Center Rd, Omaha, NE
? Grand Patisserie Facebook Page
Why Grand Patisserie’s Aksarben Bakery Matters for Omaha
Grand Patisserie isn’t just expanding. It’s doubling down on the idea that Omaha deserves pastries worth caring about. In a city of chain bagels and grocery store danishes, Zied Allam is betting that people will drive, line up, and wait for food that doesn’t apologize for being excellent.
The Aksarben Village opening may be “a ways off,” but make no mistake—when it lands, Omaha’s French pastry scene won’t just grow. It’ll mature.
Or as Brooklyn Riggles put it: “This is the bakery Omaha didn’t know it needed until it had it. Now Aksarben gets a front row seat.”
