Belle Pastry - Retail or Food Service Hero of the Year

Company: Belle Pastry
Company Description: Belle Pastry has been delighting Seattle area patrons with that special je ne sais quoi for over a decade. Owner and Pastry Chef, Khalid Kaskou, learned his craft by working at his parents’ bakery in Paris for decades. We select the finest ingredients and partner with top providers to bring fresh, authentic Parisian pastries to our customer every day of the year!
Nomination Category: COVID-19 Response Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Retail or Food Service Hero of the Year

Nomination Title: Khalid Kaskou, owner and pastry chef of Belle Pastry

I’m nominating Khalid Kaskou, owner and pastry chef of Belle Pastry, for his innovative approach to keeping his small business operating through the pandemic. Not only has he kept his “doors” open and his team employed, but he’s also helped other small businesses thrive and honored our first responders through his generous spirit.

When Covid started, Belle Pastry lost 80% of its business. However, Khalid committed to supporting his employees and the community. To date, he’s never closed the bakery for one single day and no employee has lost their job due to Covid.

Khalid started Belle Pastry in 2011 after moving to Seattle from Paris. His parents operated a bakery in Paris for decades, where he grew up and learned his crafts. Rather than letting Covid end his dreams of a true Parisian bakery in the US, Khalid has continuously looked for new ways to keep the business going while helping our community. How he’s pivoted his business to overcome the pandemic demonstrates the kind of person he is: innovative, compassionate, and collaborative.

First, Khalid set up a webpage for customers to purchase pastries to recognize hospital staff and first responders. Since April 2020, he’s delivered around 4,000 pastries to Evergreen Hospital, UW Medical Center, Swedish Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Bellevue Medical Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Overlake Hospital, Kin On Assisted Living and Bellevue Fire Station.

Secondly, Khalid has supported other small businesses affected by the pandemic. In May, he invited displaced flower farmers to sell bouquets at the bakery. He also opened the bakery to the Hmong Association of Washington for fundraisers. These are powerful examples of how businesses can support each other in challenging times.

Recognizing that isolation doesn’t mean the end of celebrations, Khalid began offering virtual party packages. He delivers to each participant so everyone can have their desserts while meeting online for office happy hours and birthdays.

Khalid has been humbled by the support and encouragement from the community and is doing everything he can to show his appreciation. I’m so very proud of his commitment to his customers, his community, and his family.