Anass Ecacharkaoui was introduced to the world of making French desserts when he moved from Morocco to France for college. Now, he’s brought his expertise to Baton Rouge.
Ecacharkaoui lived in France for 10 years, working in coffee shops and creperies. After living in Louisiana’s Capital City for the past four years, he decided to open his own dessert shop, Bonjour, which debuted in September on Essen Lane.
“I noticed there’s not really a creperie that makes sweet crepes in Baton Rouge,” Ecacharkaoui says. “We wanted to do a dessert shop and make them sweet.”
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The scent of Bonjour’s sweet crepes greets guests as soon as they walk through the doors.
Inside, the restaurant is brightly decorated, with a mostly black and white theme. Bistro tables line one wall, and a couch makes for comfy lounge seating near the window. A tiny black Eiffel Tower replica perched in the center of each table nods to Paris.
The treat display counter is reminiscent of an old diner’s cake counter. Glass windows offer a buffer between the customer and the desserts, and allow customers the option to watch their own dessert being made from a safe distance.
There are more than 10 different options on the menu for crepes, from fruit-focused to chocolate-doused.
The Lotus features Bonjour’s signature thin, sweet crepes filled with Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter. Folded over, the treat is finished with white chocolate, caramel, cookie crumbles and a full-size Lotus cookie. The triple chocolate crepe is finished with white, milk and dark chocolate.
A lot of the desserts are customizable, like waffle sticks: waffles shaped into sticks and served like popsicles; and bubble waffles: thick, fluffy waffles shaped into cones and filled with your choice of ice cream; and, of course, the regular waffles.
Bonjour also offers a large array of milkshakes, decorated to the brim with a wide selection of treats—and available to-go.
The restaurant uses many ingredients sourced directly from Europe.
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“We use a very nice coffee from Italy, and we use premium Belgian chocolate,” Ecacharkaoui says.
Bonjour is the perfect after-lunch or after-dinner treat, or even just a way to transport yourself on a French getaway.
Bonjour Baton Rouge is at 5727 Essen Lane and is open Monday-Saturday, noon-9 p.m., and Sunday, noon-8 p.m.