Levain Bakery's growth (1995-present)
Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald opened Levain Bakery on Manhattan's West 74th Street in 1995, selling cookies, breads, and pastries. Its thick chocolate-chip cookies built a devoted following.
The single store became a neighborhood institution known for long lines at cookie-baking times.
Over two decades Levain added locations in New York and beyond while keeping the original shop.
Like Heidelberg, Levain was a neighborhood staple that expanded location by location without leaving its home base, a common path for well-loved bakeries.
