Levain Bakery

Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald founded Levain Bakery in 1995, born out of their shared passions for food, friendship, and hard work. Competitive swimmers and triathletes, the two spent long training rides dreaming up what it would look like to start their own business, and in 1995 those dreams became reality with a tiny neighborhood bread shop on the Upper West Side of New York City. One day, they created an ultimate chocolate chip walnut cookie to fuel their triathlon training and decided to sell a batch in the bakery. It flew off the shelves, and an icon was born.

Thirty years later, Levain is often lauded as the home of the world's best cookie. Whether customers are stopping by their local bakery or shipping a gift straight to someone's door, Levain's cookies are made for every occasion and every person worth celebrating. And the founding spirit that started it all? Still very much intact. No matter where you find a Levain Bakery, it is a neighborhood bakery at heart. Since day one, everything is baked fresh on-site each day using simple, high-quality ingredients, and the day's leftovers are donated to local charities each night.