Eleven years after introducing French Press Bakery & Cafe to Needham, owner and founder Raji “Jay” Spencer is stepping away.
“Owning and operating French Press Bakery & Cafe has been one of my greatest accomplishments,” Spencer shared in an Instagram post. “While I am personally saying goodbye, I leave with an overwhelming sense of appreciation for the community that welcomed and supported me for all these years.”
The Chapel Street cafe that has served countless scratch-made croissants and cups of coffee to the community will continue to do so under the leadership of Spencer’s successor, Arthur Davtian.
The new owner and general manager, formerly French Press’ executive pastry chef and assistant general manager, is no newbie. “I’ve been here from the beginning,” said Davtian. “I was their overnight baker and worked my way up.”
Owning his own place has been a long-term goal for the Watertown native, whose culinary career was launched at Newbury College in Brookline. At Newbury, Davtian said, he learned the basic crafts of cooking and decided the world of fast-paced savory dishes was not for him.
“Even at home as a hobby with my mom, grandma, I enjoyed the baking side of it all instead of the hustle-bustle of the food,” Davtian said. “Which I still enjoy, but I like the creativity part of creating colorful, flavorful different combinations of desserts.”
The theatrics of pastries and cakes, he added, are well-suited to his detail-oriented personality and are simply more fun. “The different colors and the chocolates, you cut it and there’s a little peek-a-boo inside of a different flavor … those little things.”
Davtian’s career never strayed far from pastries — beginning with breakfast pastries at Burlington’s Marriott Hotel, before continuing on to wedding cakes at Newton’s The Icing on the Cake, French pastries at La Bonne Maison and Armenian pastries at his father-in-law’s establishment.
Davtian landed at French Press in 2015, a few months after Spencer opened the cafe for business.
“After a few years of being here, I was kind of like, ‘This is what I would want, I’m happy here … why let this go?’” Davtian said. “And when the opportunity came, my wife and I were excited about it and we were just kind of [like], ‘Let’s do it, we’re ready. Our kids are old enough that we can take this on.’”
The role of executive pastry chef will pass to another coworker, allowing Davtian to fully embrace his new role. As owner and general manager, he will oversee the team of 30 bakers and baristas responsible for making coffee and hundreds of small-batch treats from scratch daily. “We’re probably making at least 200 to 300 croissants a day,” Davtian noted. “Same with the Danish, same with the other pastries that we have.”
Responsibilities will increase as the growing cafe, staff and wholesale continue to expand. Thanks to Spencer’s mentorship, the ins and outs of the business are familiar to Davtian.
“Jay was a great mentor and a great teacher,” Davtian said. “He showed me the ropes, so I’m not going into it blind, which is great. He really laid out a good foundation for me, and was really great in showing me, teaching me, guiding me through the different processes of the business side.”
As the cafe’s new owner, Davtian plans to tread lightly in the beginning: building on the foundation Spencer established, and introducing new ideas slowly.
“I don’t want it to be too much of a change; we have something good happening,” he said. But, he added, “We’re growing now, so there’s definitely room to do more exciting things.”
In time, French Press customers can expect to see new flavors and menu features “peeking through.” “You might see some Middle Eastern flavors coming here and there, just to show my world,” said Davtian, referencing his Armenian roots. “But [we won’t] stray too far away from what French Press is known for.”
Cafe customers can also expect to see more of Davtian.
“I want to get to know the community and the customers and everyone who’s walking in those doors,” he said. “Will I miss production? I will. I will still have my hands in it for sure; I’m not letting go of that part of me, it’s my safe spot. But I definitely want to be more of a presence and be out there engaging.”
Davtian’s long-held dream — now reality — is spurred on by his wife, Anna, and three daughters, who he said are “super excited.” “They love coming here, and it’s fun to see their personalities. My oldest likes to help the customers, and my [youngest] likes to help me in the back; my middle child’s a little more shy so she likes to stay in the office.”
Though it won’t be easy balancing the responsibilities of parenting (and coaching his daughters’ soccer) with the responsibilities of the cafe, Davtian looks forward to the challenge.
Spencer did not respond to requests for an interview, but wrote in his Instagram announcement that he is excited to release cafe responsibilities to focus on family.
“I look forward to this exciting next chapter, which will allow more time with my kiddos, as I had them later in life and they deserve more of my time,” Spencer said in his post, adding, “To everyone who has stopped in for a cup of coffee, shared a meal with us, picked up a favorite pastry, celebrated a special occasion, or simply made French Press part of your day — thank you. Your support, kindness, encouragement, and loyalty over these past 11 years have meant more to me than I can possibly express.”
“He deserves to live this other chapter of his life,” Davtian said. “So [French Press staff] were thrilled for him, much deserving. And they were super excited to know that I was going to be the one taking over.”
Jeanne Hopkins contributed to this story.
Save as PDF