20 Degrees Chocolates will begin selling pastries this week. The chocolate shop, which originated at Myers Park wine shop Petit Philippe and expanded to a small brick-and-mortar space in the Design Center late last year, is known for its technically flawless chocolates with modern and classic flavors. The South End also serves drinking chocolate and coffee, but owner Casey Hickey says it became clear that people viewed the shop as a place to purchase gifts, not stop in and indulge yourself.

“We just recognized that over there, we need to give people a reason to come in more frequently than just that special gift,” she says. “So we looked to start to create some very simple, unadorned pastries that are very French in their origin.”

The first pastries will be available this week: almond financiers, a traditional French teacake. They will be available for pre-order online until sold out, and can be picked up starting on Thursday. Hickey suggests picking up a bottle of Champagne to pair for a weekend treat. More baked options will slowly be added, including short bread cookies flavored with herbs, chocolate pavé, and travel cakes glazed in fruit or chocolate. The added baked goods also offer customers something that won’t melt as soon as they walk out the door in the Southern summer heat.

When the South End store reopens, it will be weekends only, with weekday hours added based on demand. Hickey says she plans to watch foot traffic in the morning to determine whether it makes sense to open earlier in the day now that 20 Degrees Chocolates is also serving pastries. She doesn’t anticipate the baked goods expanding much beyond the financiers and tea cakes, but is excited to be baking once again.

“I’ve missed baking, honestly,” she says. “I don’t want to go in and do crazy entremets and all of those foofy desserts; I don’t have an interest in doing that again. But I do miss the enjoyment of a really well executed, really simple dessert.” —Kristen Wile

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