Brookline Village's New Paris Bakery, renowned for its eclairs, closes its doors after 104 years

It’s the end of an eclair era: one of the oldest shops in Brookline shut its doors on Saturday, for good.

New Paris Bakery first opened in Boston in 1919. In 1929, it moved to Brookline Village, where it became a mecca for generations of eclair-seeking hordes.

Roula Kappas and her late husband took ownership in 1988. Now she’s moving back to Greece and bidding farewell to the customers who’ve become like family to her.

Kappas said she did try to sell the business so the tradition could live on, but buyers balked at the cost involved in updating an old-fashioned shop. Initially, she said, that made her sad. Now that she’s had some time to reflect, though, she sees a major upside.

“In a way, I’m glad,” Kappas said. “Because they would have mixed it up with their own recipes. 104 years of New Paris Bakery, I think, is more than enough. And it gives me some solace and happiness to know that it will leave as New Paris Bakery.”

She said she knows the long-time customers will miss the sense of community that flourished in the neighborhood institution. The customers have also told her how much they'll miss the treats. However, she said, emphatically, “I will miss the customers even more.”

“I'll be asking for that kind of people wherever I'm going," she said. "I hope to find them, you know what I mean? These people have helped me, and I love them to death, and I had a lot of fun!”