Belle Pastry - Retail or Food Service Hero of the Year

Company: Belle Pastry
Company Description: Belle Pastry is a bakery in Bellevue Washington with 25-30 employees. The owner and pastry chef, Khalid Kaskou, is a second generation baker from Paris. His parents had a bakery in Paris and he grew up baking and running the shop! The bakery has been delighting customers in the greater Seattle area since 2003 and the pastries are made of fresh, locally sourced ingredients 365 days a year.
Nomination Category: COVID-19 Response Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Retail or Food Service Hero of the Year

Nomination Title: Parisian Bakery Surviving Covid while Helping Frontline Workers

I’m nominating Khalid Kaskou, owner and pastry chef of Belle Pastry, for his innovative approach to keeping his small business operating through the pandemic. Not only has he kept his “doors” open and his staff employed, but he’s also helped other small businesses thrive and honored our first responders through his generous spirit.

When Covid started, Belle Pastry lost 80% of its business. However, Khalid committed to supporting his employees and the community. To date, he’s never closed the bakery for one single day and no employee has lost their job.

Khalid started Belle Pastry in 2011 after moving to Seattle from Paris. His parents operated a bakery in Paris for decades, where he grew up and learned his crafts. Rather than letting Covid end his dreams of a true Parisian bakery in the Pacific Northwest, Khalid has continuously looked for new ways to keep the business going while helping our community. How he’s pivoted his business to overcome the pandemic demonstrates the kind of person he is: innovative, compassionate, and collaborative.

First, Khalid set up awebpage for customers to purchase pastries to recognize hospital staff and first responders. Since April, he’s delivered over 3,300 pastries to Evergreen Hospital, UW Medical Center, Swedish Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Bellevue Medical Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Overlake Hospital and clinics, Kin On Assisted Living and Bellevue Fire Station.
https://www.bellepastry.com/collections/special-occasions/products/pastries-for-hospitals-first-responders

Secondly, Khalid has supported other small businesses affected by the pandemic. In May, he let displaced flower farmers sell bouquets at the bakery. He also opened the bakery to the Hmong Association of Washington for fundraisers. These are powerful examples of how businesses can support each other in challenging times.

Recognizing that isolation doesn’t mean the end of celebrations, Khalid began offering virtual party packages. He delivers to each participant so everyone can have their desserts while meeting online for office happy hours and birthdays.

Khalid has been humbled by the support and encouragement from the community and is doing everything he can to show his appreciation. I’m so very proud of his commitment to his customers, his community, and his family.

Attached are photos of:

1. Khalid Kaskou delivering to multiplehopitals and Facebook gratitude posts by organizations receiving pastries
2. Facebook posts by displaced flower farmers thanking Belle Pastry for hosting them so they could sell flowers
3. Here is a video showing Belle Pastry's efforts to deliver pastries to hospitals:https://vimeo.com/404686046

Here is Belle Pastry's social media presence:
Website: https://www.bellepastry.com/collections/all
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellePastry
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellepastry/

King5 Evening News feature story on Belle Pastry's efforts during Covid and video link: https://youtu.be/rg_3LmtnMDc