New downtown French bakery My Boulánge open

It got a little sweeter — and a little French — in downtown Columbus Monday morning.

My Boulánge, an authentic French bakery, opened at 111 12^th St. to little fanfare except a social media push. Boulánge is French for bakery.

And the place has a French feel. There is a metal replica of the Eiffel Tower behind the counter.

Owner Mary Brown and chef Bruno Rizzo were busy taking care of customers in the first hours of the opening. The business, which offers fresh croissants, pastries and breads, will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

“We’ve been busy,” Rizzo said in a heavy thick accent. “I started baking at 3 this morning.”

The display cases were filled with everything from fruit tarts to breakfasts croissants filled with sausage and ham.

“There have been a lot of long hours to get to this point,” Brown said. “Bruno has been great and deserves all the praise. He’s amazing.”

Mary Brown and her husband, Dan Zavada, met on the island of St. Maarten. Rizzo had previously owned and operated the popular New Orleans French bakery Le Boulangerie before selling his share of the business after Hurricane Katrina.

Brown has been working on getting the building ready for several months.

In addition to serving breakfast, lunch and fresh baked goods throughout the day, the restaurant, across from the federal courthouse, also has a wine bar.

This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 12:41 PM with the headline "New downtown French bakery My Boulánge open."