Rock Hill is not a small town by any means. Yet, sometimes it can seem like there are only a handful of places where students can go to study outside of Winthrop University’s campus or even for any Rock Hill resident to sit down and relax, especially during these times. That’s where MADO Paris comes in.
MADO Paris is a new French bakery and cafe in Rock Hill owned by French couple Serge and Odette Agonglo. According to Serge, the name of the bakery is an interesting story.
He said, “As we are from France, there is a prestigious and famous church where the monarch used to get married in the center of Paris. And this church of Paris [is] called the Madeleine. We had the honor to get married there. So, that name, as being imprinted in our hearts, has a particular symbolic [meaning to us].”
Serge went on to say that they decided to shorten Madeleine to MADO for the name of the bakery and cafe. The couple chose Rock Hill for their business venture because of the many opportunities they had to visit the town to see family.
“We really fell in love with the American culture and we noticed that a French touch was missing out here,” Serge Agonglo said.
He continued and said, “Regarding the process, everything with paperwork. The most important [part] is to make sure the place we chose is functional, present, tidy, and secure…our objective is to make our customers happy.”
MADO Paris’ expertise is in bread and pastry making.
Odette said, “I’m [a] pastry chef. I started baking in our home kitchen and selling my creation [to] the local farmers market in France. Later on, I decided to reach a professional level by going to [a] renowned pastry school in France.”
Like his wife, Serge also cooks at MADO Paris.
He said, “I’m the baker and I have a diploma for a renowned breadmaker school in France. We wanted to share our expertise on the American market and make people test our creation.”
When asked about what makes MADO Paris stand out from other coffee shops and bakeries in the area, Serge said, “We are very attached in perpetuating the tradition of French bakery. At MADO, we put quality ahead on quantity. All [of] our ingredients are carefully selected. Our flour is essentially imported from France. Also, our coffee is from an amazing local producer. It is important to us that our customers can develop trust in our products and production process.”
The couple is very receptive of having Winthrop students come to the bakery, even if it is to just study.
“It is always a pleasure for us to welcome Winthrop University students in our bakery and cafe,” Serge Agonglo said. “They are really fond of the vault. This is a room where you can sit and study peacefully.”
As MADO Paris moves into the future, the owners said their ultimate goal is to let their customers “experience the taste of MADO.” Currently, they are focused on making MADO a symbol that patrons can recognize.
“We will be launching our brand new menu soon,” Serge Agonglo said. “We selected the best of French traditional bread and pastries and we expect to support the local community by hiring new staff later.”
The couple also plan to begin involving themselves in some associations in the area.
MADO Paris Bakery and Cafe is located in Rock Hill, SC at 1108 Cherry Road. Their hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the weekends. They’ve recently opened a new Facebook page, MADO Paris, which interested patrons can follow for their latest activity and to see when their new menu will be available.
Photo by Kaily Paddie
