Levain Bakery Opens New UES Location After Brief Delay

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The smell of freshly-baked cookies is in the air on the Upper East Side. Levain Bakery, an Upper West Side institution known for its giant chocolate chip cookies, is now open on the east side of Central Park.

The new Levain store opened Monday morning — delighting the first 100 customers in line with free cookies — on Third Avenue between East 83rd and 84th streets. The grand opening was held a few days behind schedule, as the store had some trouble getting its gas hookup while Con Ed was busy dealing with blackouts throughout the city.

A mural created by artist Libby VanderPloeg adorns the walls of the Upper East Side Levain, which will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The bakery will also offer delivery through the Caviar app every day from 6:30 a.m. to close.

Levain's newest store comes complete with new branding for the bakery. The company's new-look is displayed the store's logo, packaging, employee uniforms and in-store merchandise, a company spokeswoman said. But don't worry, the recipes haven't changed.

Levain Bakery is known for its massive chocolate chip cookies, but it also serves other bakery staples such as muffins, scones, cakes, tarts, pastries and various freshly-baked breads. The Upper East Side location will also serve up a new creation — ice cream sandwiches using miniature versions of the bakery's famous cookies and Ample Hills ice cream.

The Upper East Side location is Levain's fourth store in the city. The company has two locations on the Upper West Side, one in Harlem, one in the Hamptons and is planning a fifth store for SoHo. Levain is also contemplating a nationwide expansion to cities such as Boston, Chicago and Washington D.C., Eater New York first reported last week.