A European-Inspired Start to the Day: MarieBette Cafe & Bakery
MarieBette Cafe & Bakery is a notable bakery and restaurant combination that was brought to Charlottesville by its founders, Jason Becton, and Patrick Evans. The two met at the International Culinary Center and combined their desire for their own business with their passion for food. Becton said, “Our vision for our business is to be a place where people feel like a part of the community.”
MarieBette serves a variety of classic coffee drinks as well as breakfast, lunch, brunch, and fresh baked goods. Becton said, “One of my favorites is the pretzel croissant; it was an experiment of Patrick’s, and it turned out to be amazing.” All of these menu items are available for take out, or they can be enjoyed in their relaxed seating area.
MarieBette is located 11 minutes from the PVCC campus at 700 Rose Hill Drive. They’re open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. MarieBette immediately welcomes customers with the fresh smell of bread and pastries from the bakery in combination with the espresso from the coffee bar. Their staff was friendly and greeted me immediately.
The almond croissant ($4) is an item on their pastry menu that caught my eye and didn’t disappoint. The pastry was fresh, as promised, with a perfectly placed layer of shaved almonds and powdered sugar covering the top. Overall, my visit certainly prompted me to come back and try more of their menu items.
Becton and Evans also own a secondary location, Petite MarieBette, located only 8 minutes from the PVCC campus at 105 E Water Street. They are open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekends.
