Chloe’s French Catering shutters Windsor business

After 15 years, Chloe’s French Catering — known for their extraordinary pastries, jambon sandwiches and antique Citroen delivery truck — is bidding adieu to Sonoma County.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to make, but we felt at this point in our careers it was time,” said Renee Pisan, who along with her husband, Alain Pisan, and brother-in-law, Marc Pisan, co-owned the now-shuttered business in Windsor.

“We decided to transition to projects that will afford us the opportunity to spend more time with family in both France and the Midwest,” Renee Pisan said. “Our home base will remain here in Sonoma County,” she added.

The Pisans, who have spent more than three decades in the hospitality business, planned to sell their catering company later this year, but a chance meeting with Maud and Marc-Henri Jean-Baptiste of Maison Porcella accelerated their exit, when the Jean-Baptistes decided to buy the business.

The Jean-Baptistes already own a French-style charcuterie company that produces pates, savory pastries, sausages and charcuterie, including ham, chicken liver mousse and pork rillettes. They primarily sell their goods at farmers markets but plan to create a permanent retail location at the former Chloe catering kitchen with grab-and-go sandwiches (like their signature croque-monsieur), salads and charcuterie and a relaxing wine and charcuterie bar on Friday and Saturdays.

The Jean-Baptistes had been using a shared kitchen in Santa Rosa but wanted a larger space to expand their business, Maud Jean-Baptiste said.

“We want to bring a different offering, but stick with the French food,” she said, referring to Chloe’s bent toward French classics. After some remodeling, the couple hopes to reopen the Windsor kitchen in September.

For nearly 10 years, Renee and the French-born Pisan brothers operated Chloe’s French Cafe near Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood, offering comforting soups, dreamy pastries and specials like boeuf bourguignon that drew diners from throughout the county. During the 2017 wildfires, the restaurant was heavily damaged and was forced to close. Several months later, Chloe’s was reborn in Windsor as a catering company offering many of the same sandwiches, salads and desserts, but without a cafe component.

The Pisans aren’t throwing in their aprons yet, though. Alain and Marc plan to do a seasonal series of pop-up lunches, dinners and culinary tours. Now a nutrition consultant, Renee Pisan said she plans to develop a business geared toward culinary medicine and nutrition consulting.

“We have created such a wonderful bond with our customers over the years and appreciate their generosity and trust in our services. We will forever be grateful,” Renee Pisan said.