Cincinnati natives Patrick Moloughney and Nathan Sivitz lived in LA for a year, where they realized macarons—flavored ganache or cream sandwiched between two almond meringue cookies—are the next cupcake. So Moloughney, a former brand manager at P&G, and Sivitz, a trained pastry chef, are bringing the French sweet to Cincinnati.
“Macarons are delicate and light, and temperamental to make,” Sivitz says. “They’re difficult for the home baker to make, so we thought a shop dedicated to macarons would be perfect for the neighborhood.”
Macaron Bar is slated to open in November in a 1,400-square-foot space at 1206 Main St. in Over-the-Rhine, next to
Park + Vine. The OTR location will primarily be a takeaway kitchen, so customers can grab a treat on the way to work or on the way home.
The shop will have a minimalist and contemporary look and feel, with lots of white laminate materials and a glass wall separating the kitchen from the front of the house. The white walls will make the colorful macarons pop, Sivitz says.
The shop’s menu will feature classic flavors like chocolate, pistachio and salted caramel, with seasonal flavors like pumpkin and peppermint. All of the macarons will be gluten-free and Kosher certified. Macaron Bar will also offer a limited selection of coffee from
Deeper Roots and loose-leaf tea from
Essencha Tea House.
Moloughney and Sivitz picture the OTR location to be the flagship store, and they plan to open several satellite shops around town that will be retail-only stores supplied by the OTR kitchen.
The guys are also committed to the community—three percent of the profits from Macaron Bar will go to nonprofits in the OTR area.
“We want a way to give back,” Moloughney says, who has served on the board of several community organizations, including
Community Shares and
GLSEN. “Volunteering and being involved are very important to us.”
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