How Two Dads Built One of Charlottesville’s Most Beloved Breakfast Spots
When you walk into MarieBette Café & Bakery, the scent of fresh bread and espresso greets you before the door even closes. Tucked into Charlottesville’s Rose Hill neighborhood, this cozy café has become a gathering spot for families, students, and professionals alike — a place where European pastry traditions meet the warm hospitality of a small Virginia town. Behind the cases of croissants and the clatter of coffee cups are two dads, Jason Becton and Patrick Evans, who built MarieBette on equal parts experience, creativity, and love of community.
The Founders’ Story
Jason Becton came to food through design. With a background in art direction and training at New York’s International Culinary Center, Jason brought an eye for detail and refinement honed at iconic kitchens like the Four Seasons Hotel and l’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. At MarieBette, his influence shows up in everything from the delicate lamination of a croissant to the café’s clean, welcoming aesthetic.
Patrick Evans grew up on a farmhouse in North Garden, surrounded by gardens and family meals that taught him the importance of fresh, local food. After a detour in the New York art world, Patrick’s culinary training led him to Blue Hill and eventually to artisan bread baking, where he rose to Executive Baker at Choc O Pain in New Jersey. Today, his passion for bread is at the heart of MarieBette’s daily loaves, pastries, and the bakery’s beloved quiche and tartines.
More Than a Bakery
MarieBette is named for the couple’s two daughters — a detail that captures just how family-rooted the business is. Patrons come not just for flaky croissants and brioches, but also for the café experience. They lattes at sun-lit tables, enjoy a leisurely brunch of tartines, or grab a baguette to share at home. The menu shifts with the seasons, reflecting both French inspiration and Charlottesville’s farm-to-table spirit…