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Inside Levain Bakery's Huge New Upper West Side Location
By
Nell Casey
Published Jun 28, 2017
Modified Jun 29, 2017
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By
Nell Casey
Published Jun 28, 2017
Modified Jun 29, 2017
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Will increased square footage at Levain Bakery's new Upper West Side location help alleviate the lines that form daily for the bakery's signature cookie gut-bombs? Find out starting today, when the new shop—located a three minute mosey from the West 74th Street original—flung open its doors to human customers (and wistful canines).
The fourth shop—the third opened in Harlem in 2011 and there's a seasonal outpost in the Hamptons) looks like a mansion compared to the teensy original, which has just enough space for half a dozen to fit "comfortably" while everyone jockeys for space at the counter. For one thing, it's on the ground floor (you need to descend a short staircase to access the original), meaning it's airy and sun-drenched from the outset.
Secondly, retractable line dividers have been installed to keep the queue inside orderly and allow for loitering on the perimeter of the bakery for folks who've already received their cookie bounties. There's also seating available.
Overall, it's a difference of 2,000-square-feet of retail space on the ground floor versus 400-square-feet in the "basement" at the space on West 74th.
The hearty cookies ($4 each), which owners Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes first created as on-the-go sustenance while training for an Ironman, are the focal point of the new cafe, coming in beloved flavors like Chocolate Chip Walnut and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip. Breads (brioche, country rolls, baguette, whole grain loafs, etc), including brand-new burger buns, join sweet items including sour cream coffee cake, lemon bread, oatmeal raisin scones and sticky buns. A selection of pizzas, along with coffee and tea drinks, complete the menu.
McDonald and Weekes's success comes from over two decades of baking, having started their business in 1995. The duo revealed that it took over eight years for Levain to just break even, but never thought about giving up: "Stopping was not an option," they said.
Weekes said that the new roomier location was "good for everyone," helping them continue to serve the community as well as the foodies who flock to the small West 74th Street bakery for the perfect Instagram. [Our own Jen Chung confirms that the line outside Levain can be formidable just 15 minutes after opening on a sunny Saturday morning.]
In addition to more space to move around, the new shop has extended hours, opening an hour earlier and staying open an hour later than the others.
351 Amsterdam Avenue, 212-874-6080; levainbakery.com. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
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cookies
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Upper West Side
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Nell Casey
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