Move over, sweets, there’s a new cookie in town

Chocolate chip cookies beware: There’s competition in town — delicate, round, sweet sandwiches.

Slated to open Downtown on Saturday, Nov. 25, Le Macaron French Pastries offers 20 flavors, including Belgian chocolate, birthday cake and Sicilian pistachio. At about $3 per cookie, the treats have a crispy outer shell and a sweet spread inside.

Also on tap at Le Macaron are 30 flavors of fine chocolates, several varieties of decadent French pastries, made-to-order coffee and 16 flavors of gelato.

“I think we’re going to be a hotspot for dessert in the evening,” co-owner Stacy Haggart said.

Haggart opened the franchise with her husband, Gary, about two years after discovering the bakery online.

“I’m a night owl,” she said. “Everyone was asleep, and I was on the internet late at night, and I found Le Macaron French Pastries. I knew instantly that that was it for us.”

She woke her husband early to tell him.

“I said, ‘I know what we’re going to do.’ Of course, he thought I was totally insane,” she recalled.

It took a six-figure investment to get the place up and remodeled in time for the planned opening.

“It was one of the biggest transactions I’ve ever done in one day,” she said of the franchise purchase.

Finding the right location was a challenge. The couple knew they wanted to be Downtown for the plentiful foot traffic and its “great energy,” Stacy said.

Once the location was secured, construction began — but it was a bumpy ride. The $10,000 gelato machine was a quarter of an inch shy of making it through the front door. Fortunately, they found a solution.

“This is a vintage building,” she said. “Our window had slipped, and there was actually an inch gap at the top of our window. So, my landlord was willing to pay to fix the window. I was able to (get the machine in) at the same time.”

The couple hopes to attract evening revelers or those looking for desserts. The hours will be the same as its neighbor, the HUB Restaurant and Ice Creamery.

To serve guests, Haggart is looking for outgoing and hard-working folks. In the meantime, the Haggards want every guest to have a great experience at Le Macaron French Pastries.

“We are very excited to join the food scene and bring something unique to Tucson,” Stacy said. “I hope (our guests) feel our love come through in our store.”

Le Macaron French Pastries

260 E. Congress Street, Tucson
www.lemacaron-us.com

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday

11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

This article appears in Nov 16-23, 2023.