The Levain cookie empire expands

You might remember back in March when Jenny published the battle of the Levain Bakery chocolate chip walnut cookie, reviewing ten different copycat recipes for the absurdly thick and decadent cookies. (She settled on  Levain Bakery copycat chocolate chip walnut cookie part two by Parsley Sage Sweet as the winner of the copycat challenge.)

The lines at the handful of Levain Bakery outposts in the NYC area can stretch for a city block, so it is difficult to experience the phenomenon of the cookie if you don’t live in the NYC area. That may be about to change, however, as the duo behind the iconic cookie have announced plans for a major expansion. 

Co-owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald have received an infusion of capital from a private-equity firm and are expanding their ultra-sized cookie empire, beginning with a new location on the Upper East Side. Two more NYC locations are also in the works, with national expansion likely to follow next year with Boston, Washington DC, and Chicago under consideration. If those are successful, who knows where you might find these ooey, gooey, and lush cookies next (I’m sure Jenny will make a pitch for Colorado).