A bakery near Santa Monica Airport gives people a reason to line up without a boarding pass. Matilda’s, which opened in early October, pairs French baking traditions with a broader American ingredient list, serving croissants, baguettes, savory pastries, and an eight-option butter menu. The new arrival occupies a restored 1940s administrative building at 3200 Airport Avenue. Its approach is summed up in a phrase reported by the Beverly Press: “a California bakery with an accent.”
The early response has been substantial. Eater Los Angeles reported on October 13 that Matilda’s was selling more than 3,000 pastries weekly and had experienced lines lasting 45 minutes. “I am still processing it, to be honest,” founding baker François Pied told the publication. “I was not expecting this level of commitment from people to stand in line.” Those figures describe the bakery’s opening weeks, not a guaranteed wait or a prediction that every pastry will sell out before your arrival.
A California Address, a French Foundation and Four Days of Work
Owner and restaurateur Sean Martin took over the building in 2022 and named the bakery after his daughter. He recruited Pied, who brought an advertising background before transitioning into baking. Pied then tapped Abel Pulsifer as lead baker; the two had met at Los Angeles bakery Bub and Grandma’s. Pulsifer’s experience includes Brooklyn’s Radio Bakery, while Pied trained at École Lenôtre in Paris and worked at bakeries in France and the United States…