New York’s Levain Bakery Opens on M St.
By • September 17, 2020 0 1908
Still, when all is said and done, they come to Georgetown first.
New York’s Levain Bakery — a top spot on the Upper West Side and in the Hamptons with its big, textured, six-ounce cookies — opened on Sept. 16 at 3131 M St. NW, the former site of the Johnny Rockets hamburger joint, steps from Wisconsin Avenue.
A hopeful sight for Georgetown’s retail health, the lively line of expectant customers went down the block. The M Street shop is Levain’s first outside New York.
On opening day, co-founder Pam Weekes said she attended school nearby and loves Georgetown and Washington, D.C. The company shared: “After decades of satisfying NYC’s sweet tooth, we’re excited to start sharing the cookie joy nationwide, and can’t think of a sweeter neighborhood to start in than Georgetown!”
The M Street bakery added that it has “teamed up with D.C. pastry chef Paola Velez to create a Georgetown-only, limited-edition Café Con Leche cookie, a dark chocolate cookie, featuring notes of espresso, cinnamon and brimming with two types of Valrhona chocolate and cashews and finished with a touch of sea salt. Proceeds from the sale of this limited-edition cookie will be donated to Horton’s Kids, a local organization made up of volunteers who provide aid to children in under-resourced communities, empowering them to graduate from high school.”
The Georgetown store features hand-painted murals by Libby VanderPloeg that include depictions of Dupont Circle, the Tidal Basin and the skyline of Georgetown University.
Known for its chocolate chip walnut cookies and other varieties, Levain also offers breads, pastries, sticky buns and coffee. Founded in 1995 by Weekes and Connie McDonald, the bakery is expanding nationally with a strategic investment by Stripes, a private equity firm.
Levain Bakery is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; cookies are $4 each.
Opening day for Levain Bakery’s Georgetown store. Photo by Patrick G. Ryan.
The storefront of Levain Bakery looking at M Street. Photo by Brian Oh.
Levain Bakery co-founders Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes at the Georgetown opening. Photo by Robert Devaney.
The front counter of Levain Bakery on M Street. Photo by Brian Oh.
