The wait is over, cookie fans: Levain Bakery, the New York bakery famous for its massive, gooey cookies, opens its first Philly location this Friday, October 11 in Rittenhouse Square. Drop by 1518 Walnut Street on Friday from 8am onward for the opening party, which will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Philly-branded totes filled with free bakery swag for the first 100 customers. Plus, you can feel good about stocking up on treats because all opening day proceeds will be donated to local anti-poverty nonprofit Broad Street Love.
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The Rittenhouse bakery will be the Levain's 15th location; the bakery also operates stores in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Bethesda, Md. Levain's Rittenhouse location fits a pattern of national chains moving in alongside local bakeries in the city.
“With each new bakery, we aim to be a true neighbor and member of the community. We love Rittenhouse and we are delighted the bakery is in the heart of Philadelphia,” Levain cofounders Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald said in a news release. “Rittenhouse has no shortage of delicious bakeries; we couldn’t be more excited to break bread and cookies with our new neighbors.”
Levain Rittenhouse, which will be a retail bakery and production space, inhabits a former bank and its exterior and interior honors the building's original architectural elements. Brooklyn-based architecture and design firm Sarah Carpenter helmed the bakery's look, which includes a mural designed and hand-painted by Philadelphia-based illustrator and art director Tara Jacoby. Jacoby's mural was inspired by the building’s original ceiling archways, which were covered in Art Deco-inspired flourishes.
As for the menu? Levain Rittenhouse's opening lineup includes the bakery’s six classic flavors: Chocolate Chip Walnut (also available as gluten-free and vegan), Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, Two Chip Chocolate Chip, and the newest Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip. The bakery will also stock its seasonal Fall Chocolate Chunk cookie, a play on its classic flavor with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and molasses.
In addition to the famous cookies, customers can also pick up coffee, freshly baked bread, loaf cakes, pastries, brioche, and sticky buns (only on weekends). We recommend lining up early to score your own sweet treats.