Patchogue bakery pivots to sourdough-only concept after popular events

Mademoiselle of Patchogue has reinvented itself as a sourdough-only bakery, scrapping an eight-year French-inspired patisserie model in favor of naturally fermented breads and baked goods built around a long-fed starter named Vivienne.

The shift came after the bakery’s weekly Sunday sourdough events drew unexpected crowds and repeat business. Owner Gillette Kelly said the lines and the return visits showed the sourdough side had more momentum than the old menu of croissants, baguettes, brioche rolls and other French-inspired pastries. The bakery closed temporarily while preparing for what it called its next chapter and announced a grand reopening for May 9.

The move marks a major change for a business that says it has operated in Patchogue since 2008, with the flagship shop at 61 N. Ocean Ave., Patchogue, NY 11772. Before the temporary closure, the bakery’s posted hours were Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The new identity centers on Vivienne, a nine-year-old sourdough starter that has been fed daily for nearly a decade and is now the heart of the operation.

That kind of reinvention is not new for Mademoiselle. When the bakery first opened on North Ocean Avenue, next to Catch Oyster Bar, it was introduced as a French bakery bringing locally sourced, natural and organic products to downtown Patchogue. Michelle Gillette Kelly had previously run a bakery in Bayport, and the shop also leaned into gluten-free and dairy-free offerings, giving it a niche from the start. In December 2021, the brand expanded with a second location inside the Bayport-Blue Point Library in Blue Point, where it served croissants, pastries, cupcakes, macarons, coffee and espresso drinks.

Now the business is narrowing, not widening, its focus. That is a risky move in a crowded Patchogue food scene, but it also gives Mademoiselle a clearer identity at a time when small businesses are being forced to stand out on quality, concept and consistency. The bakery’s own language about being part of Patchogue Village’s International Row underscores the point: this is a storefront in a busy downtown, where foot traffic and repeat customers matter as much as novelty.

For Patchogue, the sourdough-only relaunch is more than a menu change. It is a test of whether a sharper concept can hold attention in a village where restaurants and bakeries are constantly competing for the same regulars, and where the businesses that last are often the ones that know exactly what they are.