Levain Bakery is coming to the Bay Area. The New York bakery told KTVU it will open at Santana Row in San Jose, and the shop is planned for next summer.
Where it will be
According to The San Jose Blog, citing the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Levain will take part of the former Chico's storefront on Olin Avenue. Chico's closed that store in September. Levain plans to donate its opening-day proceeds to a local charity, a company tradition.
The cookie backstory
Friends Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald opened the first Levain on West 74th Street in Manhattan in 1995, KTVU reported. They were bread bakers training for triathlons when they made a high-calorie chocolate chip walnut cookie for energy, and it became the bakery's signature. The cookies weigh about 6 ounces each.
How big Levain is now
The chain has about 20 U.S. locations. Most are on the East Coast, and it has four in Southern California: Larchmont Village and Venice in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. Levain would not tell KTVU whether more Bay Area shops are planned.