At the original Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which has about 150 square feet of retail space, the shop is located on a side street, three steps below ground, with three stools and space for about two people to stand.
But the line snakes outside the store, over the steps and onto West 74th Street as many customers wait to bite into the overly plump, gooey and chewy, chocolate chip walnut cookies, a guilty pleasure and its signature confection. The three other cookies—oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate chocolate chip, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip—are just as popular. The shop is about 500 square feet, with much of it devoted to baking.
And those persistent lines best explain why Levain Bakery has been acquired by the Stripes Group, a private equity firm, and is about to embark on a national expansion.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Forbes
