Kate Smith did not set out to create just another bakery. When she opened Kate Smith Soirée, she wanted to create a place where people could enjoy well-made pastries in a space that felt fun and welcoming. Coming from a family of restaurateurs, she grew up seeing how food could bring people together. “I watched my parents’ restaurant become that space for so many people, and I always knew that food would be my way of connecting with people,” Smith said.
Her first experience with a French macaron helped shape the business that would eventually become Kate Smith Soirée. After trying one in Paris, Smith was hooked. She loved the combination of the crisp shell, chewy center and flavorful filling. She was also drawn to the challenge of making them. “They look so simple, but they are incredibly technical and quite stubborn to make,” she said. “If there’s anything that motivates me, it’s a challenge.” That challenge turned into an obsession, and macarons became the foundation of the business. Today, Smith and her team continue to experiment with flavors, colors and presentation while sticking to traditional techniques. “We get to endlessly play with flavor, color and presentation while still respecting very traditional French technique,” she said.
In the beginning, Smith's focus was largely on the product itself. She wanted to make the best macarons and pastries she could. As the business grew and she moved into her own brick-and-mortar space, her focus expanded. “We’re still a bakery at the core, but I think we’ve become a place where people can come to celebrate life in all of its forms,” she said. That includes everything from a regular customer stopping in for coffee to tea parties, weddings and custom dessert displays. The bakery's pink interior and playful details are a big part of the experience, but Smith said she never wanted the space to feel exclusive or like customers needed a special reason to visit. “You can dress up and have a tea party, or you can walk in wearing leggings, grab a coffee and a pastry and you’ll be just as welcomed,” she said.
For Smith, the work that goes into the pastries matters just as much as how they look. Making macarons requires plenty of recipe testing and attention to detail. Small changes in humidity, oven temperature or even the equipment being used can affect the final product. “Appearance matters, and we love the designing portion of the process because we want them to be beautiful, but I’ll choose flavor and texture over a ‘perfect’ looking macaron every time,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, people remember how something tasted.”
The bakery also changes its offerings with the seasons. Fall is one of Smith's favorite times of year to create new menu items, with fresh fruit and warmer flavors providing plenty of inspiration. “This fall, we’ll lean quite a bit on comforting flavors that feature a fruit paired with warm spices,” she said. “You’ll see a lot of browned butter at the bakery, smell toasted nuts, and I’ll be clinging onto all of the seasonal fresh fruit I can get my hands on.”
Tea parties have also become an important part of Kate Smith Soirée. Smith enjoys seeing customers slow down and spend time together over tea and pastries. “My favorite part is knowing that people are making memories in my bakery,” she said. That connection to people's lives has been one of the most meaningful parts of owning the business. Smith and her team have provided desserts for weddings, birthdays, graduations and other major celebrations, along with smaller moments that are personal in their own way. “Food has this incredible ability to attach itself to a memory,” she said.
Seven years into the business, Smith said one of the biggest surprises has been watching Kate Smith Soirée become something larger than her original vision. “Then one day you look around and you realize there is an entire team bringing that vision to life,” she said. The business has also found a home in Downtown Overland Park, where Smith said the sense of community has been stronger than she expected. The updated farmers market has brought new visitors to the area and introduced the bakery to more customers. “When Downtown OP is growing, all of the businesses here benefit from it,” Smith said. “We’re all collectively part of creating a destination people want to spend time in.”
Behind the pink decor and pastries, Smith said there is a hardworking team that genuinely cares about what they do. And while the business continues to grow, the goal remains simple. “I genuinely hope that they leave a little happier than when they walked in,” she said. “If someone leaves feeling like their day just got a little better, we’ve done our job.”
For more information visit katesmithsoiree.com
At the end of the day, people remember how something tasted.
We’re still a bakery at the core, but I think we’ve become a place where people can come to celebrate life in all of its forms