A classically trained pastry chef is bringing another taste of his signature patisseries, eclairs and macarons to Oakland County.
Matt Knio is working on an upscale bakery and coffee shop called Cannelle that he plans to open late this summer at 33304 Grand River Ave. in downtown Farmington.
“It’s the quality ingredients and technique,” Knio said of his artisanal brand of pastries. “It’s not common in this area. There are a few people that actually do this, but not that much. So bringing it to the Michigan area was very exciting for me.”
Cannelle is a small chain that derives its name from the French word for cinnamon. Knio already has locations in Birmingham, Ann Arbor and along West Grand River Avenue in downtown Detroit. He also owns the Golden Wheat Bakehouse, which co-exists with Cannelle’s Detroit and Birmingham locations.
The move to Farmington is a natural progression for Knio, who attended farmer’s markets in the suburb’s downtown corridor for years. He’s seen the city build itself up and was encouraged to open a business in the up-and-coming town.
“I’ve seen the improvements and how the community cares about the city and how they try to improve it,” Knio told What Now Detroit. “That’s what I felt about Detroit years ago, and that’s how I feel about Farmington now.”
Cannelle will occupy the former KickstART art gallery in Farmington. Knio is renovating the space and intends to open his doors in August.
Planning commissioners approved site plans for a 1,100 square-foot outdoor seating area in May. Construction on the patio began this week.
Knio grew up in Africa to a family of fishermen and developed his fondness for sweets when he moved to the Ivory Coast to pick beans on a cocoa plantation. Buoyed by his newfound curiosity, he moved to France and took master artisan training at the Academie de Versailles in Paris, where he studied under a champion French pastry chef.
He moved to Michigan after he met his wife, who was studying dentistry at the University of Michigan. In 2003, Knio opened his own Patisserie & Crepêrie in downtown Birmingham. The retail store inside that pastry shop came to be known Cannelle Patisserie, laying the groundwork for his current rendition.
At Cannelle, Knio serves traditional French-inspired cakes, biscuits and cookies with his own personal twist. Most of the desserts are his unique creations like the popular hazelnut, almond crunch bar or the passion strawberry tart cake.
“We love our customers and our customers love what we do,” Knio said. “It’s just been an amazing time. And the best is when a customer comes back and tells you how good the product is. It’s like you’re winning everything by hearing this.”
