Coming Soon · Nashville, Tennessee
Merci la Vie
Artisan Sourdough Bakery
Bread made with time.
Crafted with intention.
Shared with meaning.
Coming soon to Nashville.
We don't rush bread. We build it.
Long fermentation isn't a technique — it's a philosophy. At Merci la Vie, every loaf begins 48 hours before it reaches your hands. We work with living cultures, carefully sourced grains, and the kind of patience that commercial baking abandoned long ago. What you taste is time, made tangible.
Monia & Stéphane · Nashville
Monia Van Engelgom · Stéphane
A bakery built by two hands — and one shared vision.
Merci la Vie is a life project. A place where craftsmanship, transmission, and human connection come together. With roots in tradition and a clear modern vision, Monia and Stéphane bring discipline, care, and a deep respect for the craft.
Trained at Matière Première in Brussels, they chose Nashville not to replicate what they left behind — but to create something that belongs here, and nowhere else.
A family of makers
Monia's father was a chef for over 30 years. Her mother worked alongside him for more than 20. Stéphane's grandfather was a baker and pâtissier his entire life — through WWII, after escaping a German prisoner train. At the Bon Marché tearoom in Brussels, he was simply known as "the Chef." Until he was 85, he helped young bakers open their own shops. Some crafts are passed down. This is one of them.
Simple ingredients.
Deep character.
- Sourdough breads
- Babka
- Cruffins
- Soft breads
- Fermentation selection
Fermentation is a commitment.
You cannot fake time. You cannot shortcut culture. The bread we make is a record of every hour it spent becoming itself — and that is what makes it worth sharing.
Nashville
Tennessee · Coming Soon
We are currently securing our location and preparing to open our doors. Something worth waiting for takes time.
Stay connected
bake@mercilavietn.com @mercilavie.tn