CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you can't afford a trip to France, just drive over to Bien Merite in Corpus Christi.
This Parisian bakery opened two months ago off of South Staples Street and Morgan Avenue.
Owner, Michelle Fraedrick, also owns Matcha Konomi.
She said Bien Merite had a sweet start; she was offered chocolate equipment from a store that closed.
"It just kinda sparked an idea to not only do chocolates but pastries," she said.
Gourmet chocolate and croissants are two of Bien Merite's specialties. On any given day, their baker, Melanie Jackson, comes up with sweet and savory masterpieces, all tucked into a flaky croissant.
"It's very fun, I've always had a passion for it," Jackson said.
The ladies said business has been booming since they opened.
So much so that Jackson had to bake even more pastries for hungry customers.
Yet, no matter how many pastries they bake and sell, there are still hungry people in the Coastal Bend.
Fraedrick recalled a day she spotted a homeless man digging through garbage near their store.
She saw him pull out an old bag and eat something from it.
"It just made me realize there's still such a problem with people who are hungry and I wanted to figure out a way to make sure that we could help people," the owner said.
From that day forward, Bien Merite began a promotion: anyone who bought a drink or pastry could pay it forward by purchasing a box of pastries for a local shelter.
Jackson said it's humbling knowing that there are people who are getting a gourmet treat that otherwise may not.
"Just honored to be able to serve people in that way," she said.
So far, the bakery has donated to The Purple Door and Metro Ministries.
Soon, they hope to expand this mission.
You can visit Bien Merite at 1316 South Staples Street.
Michelle said they plan on hosting a grand opening by the end of May.