Madeleine Proust bakery closes after just one year in Vienna

Another local French bakery has closed its doors for good, leaving the Tysons area with dwindling options for macrons, cookies and other Parisian desserts.

Madeleine Proust shuttered on Oct. 1, only about a year after it first opened in Vienna’s Wolftrappe Shops at 448 Maple Ave East. The business didn’t provide an explanation for the closure but confirmed it would no longer be operating in any capacity after that date.

“We would like to thank all of our customers that we have done business with over the years. We could not have been as successful as it was without your loyalty. Thank you!” the bakery said in a message on its website.

FFXnow was unable to reach the owners for comment.

Madeleine Proust opened in October 2021 as the creation of couple Jesse and Scarlet Woo, according to Patch. As suggested by the name, its specialties included shell-shaped madeleines, Chiffon cakes and Sablé cookies.

The bakery also offered brilles, a madeleine covered in flavored chocolate developed by Scarlet Woo, a pastry chef, according to Northern Virginia Magazine, which dubbed the shop “a must-try for serious food lovers” in a review last December.

Madeleine Proust appears to have closed around the same time as Praline Bakery, the similarly French-inspired bakery from former White House pastry chefs that opted not to renew its lease at the Mosaic District in Merrifield.

Just a couple of doors down from Madeleine Proust, the fine dining restaurant Clarity has temporarily closed.

The restaurant announced on Oct. 3 that it would be closed until Nov. 2 as “our Chef Bryant is reimaginating the unique fine dining experience of Clarity.”

A Clarity employee told FFXnow that, in addition to hiring a new chef, the restaurant is training new servers and managers. The interior is also getting cleaned and refurbished with new lights, among other changes.

While the menu will be tweaked slightly, the restaurant has retained most of its kitchen staff, and the hours of operation will be unchanged once it reopens.

Dinner will return on Nov. 2 from 5-10:30 p.m., seven days a week, while lunch will restart on Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays.

“The menu is going to be a little different, but in a good way,” the employee said. “…It’s going to be a good experience to enjoy with us for sure.”

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