San Jose cookie fans will have a new bakery to visit: Levain Bakery, the New York chain famous for its six-ounce cookies, is set to open its first Bay Area location at Santana Row. The bakery will take over part of the former Chico's storefront, bringing its hefty chocolate chip walnut cookies and other baked goods to the San Jose shopping and dining destination.
The news comes from the Silicon Valley Business Journal, which reports that Levain plans to open its first Bay Area location at Santana Row. The New York-founded bakery is set to join roughly 30 existing food-and-beverage tenants already doing business at the mixed-use San Jose property, per the same report.
A Cookie With Cult Status
Levain built its reputation on cookies that weigh in at six ounces apiece. The chain was founded in New York City in 1995 by best friends Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, according to the Los Angeles Times. Beyond the oversized cookies, the Times reports that Levain's menu also includes artisan breads, sandwiches, muffins and other pastries, giving shoppers more than just a sugar fix.
The bakery's origin story has a quirky, athletic twist. Per Levain's own account of its history, the now-famous chocolate chip walnut cookie began as a homemade snack Weekes and McDonald whipped up to keep their energy levels high while training for triathlons. On its FAQ page, the company says it still makes its cookies in small batches by hand every day, a detail that has become part of its brand identity as it has grown.
Expanding Well Beyond New York
Levain describes itself as having grown well past its Manhattan roots. The bakery says it has expanded to become bicoastal, bringing what it calls the joy of Levain to more neighborhoods and cookie enthusiasts. Outside of New York, the chain has also established locations in Washington, D.C., Boston and Chicago, according to Eater LA.
Levain opened its first West Coast bakery on Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles in June 2023, Eater LA reported. Eater LA also reported that Levain planned to open a second Southern California location in Venice, in a shuttered space on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. More recently, Levain opened a Newport Beach shop that the Los Angeles Times described as Orange County's first Levain location, while a Beverly Hills opening was characterized by Los Angeles Magazine as the chain's third location in the Los Angeles area.
How Big Has Levain Gotten?
Exactly how many Levain Bakery locations exist nationwide depends on who you ask and when they counted. The Silicon Valley Business Journal's reporting on the Santana Row deal puts the total at 20 locations, while the Los Angeles Times reported in August that the chain operated 19 U.S. locations, including three in Southern California. Los Angeles Magazine, writing about the Beverly Hills opening, put the number at 18 nationwide at that point in the chain's expansion. The reported totals differ.
Levain's arrival will add another name to the retail and dining mix at the San Jose destination.
