What started as a tiny storefront on Fairmount has grown into one of the busiest—and most community-minded—bakeries in Montreal. Boulangerie Guillaume made its name by taking the bones of traditional French baking and adapting them to the city’s rhythms: crusty bâtards, Mediterranean-style ciabattas, airy fougasses, and the now-famous apple buns based on the baker’s mother’s recipe. Founders Guillaume Vaillant and Valériane Lamirande-Gauvin launched the operation in 2010, living above the shop and building out a model that prioritizes worker ownership and creativity. As demand grew, they expanded down the Main, turning multiple adjacent spaces into a seamless production and retail hub. There’s even a public green space out front—part park, part terrace—open to anyone, 24/7. On any given day, the bread wall alone offers 80-plus options, and the viennoiserie team keeps things experimental without losing sight of flavour. It’s a place that runs on skill, generosity, and the kind of structure that lets good ideas rise.