Two Beloved Pastry Shops Bid Farewell in Metro Detroit

Japanese pastry shop changes hands and name

Novi’s adorable Japanese bakery Pastry House Hippo closed for a second time in late December — and this time the shutter is permanent. After 21 years of business the popular shop known for buns made in the shapes of crabs and pandas sold to new ownership at the end of the year, Pastry House Hippo confirmed in posts to Facebook. A new shop called Moose Pastry & Tea will replace the beloved local spot serving “Asian-French fusion pastries, bread, and cake,” per an announcement by the new owners. Moose Pastry is slated to debut on Wednesday, January 2.

French bakery bids farewell

Birmingham’s 40-year-old French patisserie Le Petit Prince has closed its chapter in metro Detroit. The owners of the shop, which went dark several months ago, have been seeking an exit towards retirement for several years now as Crain’s reported in June. It appears this fall, they finally achieved that goal. “It was with overwhelming emotion that we handed over the keys to a new owner, who will draft her own story,” the owners wrote in a lengthy farewell on Facebook on December 28.

Bartender pours her last pint

Gruff Cass Corridor bartender Charleen Dexter has officially retired from her post at the Bronx Bar after nearly 42 years serving drinks. Dexter began working at the bar in 1977 and became known for her dry wit and long memory for the neighborhood, which has experienced significant changes over the years. “Honey, when I first started here, beer was 15-cents a glass, you could get a burger, fries and a Coke for $2.75, and the most expensive shot behind the bar was 65-cents,” she told Eater Detroit contributor Serena Daniels in 2015. “You could go out with $5, get drunk, and still come home with change.”

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