Cronut Launch (2013)
Pastry chef Dominique Ansel introduced the Cronut, a croissant-doughnut hybrid, at his SoHo bakery in May 2013. The pastry drew overnight lines and resale prices above $100, turning a single novel item into a destination bakery.
Ansel's bakery became a tourist stop, and the Cronut spawned imitators worldwide.
Showed that one focused, novel pastry can anchor a bakery's identity in New York.
Justin's Salt Bread is betting the same single-item model works for Korean-Japanese salt bread in the East Village.
