Cocoa & Fig not only sells the best cupcake in town, topped with a lush Italian buttercream, they also offer an array of delightful two-bite pastel macarons as well as homemade Nutter Butters and Oreos.
But their skyway shop had limited accessibility to sweets-lovers beyond walking distance of Gaviidae Commons—until now.
The bakery opened its second retail location in mid-October, in a strip mall on York Avenue across from Cub Foods. Flanked by Chipotle, Caribou, and Pizza Hut franchises, this little bakery adds a much-needed dose of charm to the Southdale area.
“We’ve had our large production kitchen in Shakopee for six years, and we opened our retail store in Gaviidae Commons in 2010… This is a great spot that’s easily accessible, and it’s a good midway point between Shakopee and downtown,” explains co-owner Laurie Pyle.
Twice the size of the tiny downtown space, the new Cocoa & Fig evokes an Anthropologie filled with edibles. It features a few marble-topped tables for dining in and a spacious counter and pastry case, as well as a separate room for wedding and event consultations. A shabby chic hutch displays housemade candies and granola for sale, and an artfully-weathered console table is topped by vintage cake stands.
“It’s a little Parisian. That’s just kind of our style,” says Pyle, noting that she and her partner Joe Lin enjoyed shopping for the new shop’s décor so much that they’ve decided to give their other retail spot a makeover as well. “We intend to match the Gaviidae store to what we’ve done in Edina.”
There’s a lot on tap for Cocoa & Fig’s busy holiday season: this year, the shops will be selling a variety holiday cookies as well as pies for Thanksgiving, if you’re looking to go the traditional dessert route. If not, those macarons would certainly make an excellent post-dinner treat.
