Levain Bakery’s famous cookies can be found at their Wainscott shop alongside Hamptons-exclusive treats like rustic fruit tarts and flatbreads. Owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald answered a few of our questions to learn more about their journey and the bakery that has become a New York institution — from a small bread shop on West 74th Street to nationwide locations.
Tell us about your background and how Levain Bakery began, including the “happy accident” that led to the creation of your famous cookie recipe.
The story of Levain Bakery really begins in 1987, when we first met in a Manhattan swimming pool. Our friendship grew through hours spent training for an Ironman race and triathlons. Connie had been working in finance, while Pam worked in fashion at Norma Kamali. A career change led Connie to pursue cooking at Peter Kump’s Cooking School, where she found her true passion — bread baking. Pam grew up baking and always had a passion for it. We decided to open our first storefront — a tiny bakery on West 74th Street in 1995, making mostly wholesale bread for restaurants.
From that small bread bakery, we baked our way into New Yorkers’ hearts — especially with our now-famous chocolate chip walnut cookie, which we first created while training for races. When we sold it on a whim, it flew off the shelves. And a few years later, an amazing review from the New York Times eventually helped create lines around the block. Nearly 30 years later, our cookies are still freshly baked every day at each of our bakeries, continuing the legacy that really started with friendship, a lot of hard work, and a real love for baking.
Share insights about the Wainscott location, which has become a staple. What inspired you to open in Wainscott?
As lifelong New Yorkers, we’ve always loved spending time at the beach. In 2000, we opened our Wainscott location after noticing how the city quieted down during the summer. We soon found that the year-round community was just as enthusiastic as our summer visitors. Now, 25 years later, we’re still in the same beloved Wainscott location, offering a few exclusive items — like our rustic fruit tarts and flatbread pizzas — that are favorites among both locals and visitors.
Let’s talk about your go-to holiday recipes. What do you love to bake most during the holiday season?
This may seem like the obvious answer, but we truly love to bake cookies! Alongside classic cookie flavors, we have always loved to experiment with new, seasonal recipes. For the holiday season, we created Levain’s Dark Chocolate Peppermint cookie, which features dark chocolate and the cutest soft red and white striped peppermint chips. We love it for the way it tastes, but it also brings you back to all the holiday joy and spirit we love.
What do you love most about the East End? How do you enjoy spending your time here?
As avid swimmers, we love to swim in the bay from May through October! We also love to bike at sunrise, mainly in the Northwest Woods, where we see all kinds of amazing animals and nature. Of course, we also enjoy eating and shopping at many of the other local businesses and farm stands, especially from September through May when there is far less traffic and just as much natural beauty!
