Meet the Founders Behind Levain Bakery: Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald

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If you live in New York, chances are you know exactly what we're referring to when we bring up the famous Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookie. And if you visit New York, chances are getting the cult-favorite chocolate chip cookie is on your to-do list. Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald are the pastry geniuses behind the signature cookie as the co-founders of Levain Bakery. Originally opened as an artisan bread shop in 1995, Levain Bakery was born out of Weekes and McDonald's shared passion for food and baking. The now highly sought-after 6-ounce chocolate chip walnut cookie quickly put them on the map. In fact, a 1997 New York Times article deemed the cookie "the largest, most divine chocolate chip cookie in Manhattan," which we can confirm remains true to this day.

Levain Bakery has since grown into 11 locations, with another storefront on the way in Los Angeles this summer and an incredibly successful e-commerce gifting business. "Baking with love" is a common saying in the culinary world, and that is exactly what Weekes and McDonald have done in building Levain Bakery. 

Yet their careers were significantly different before they were at the helm of a burgeoning bakery business. Weekes spent her early career in fashion working for major brands like Norma Kamali and Adrienne Vittadini, while McDonald held a career in finance for eight years.

Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Weekes and McDonald's meeting at a New York City swimming pool nearly 30 years ago led them to create one of the biggest cookie phenomenas and a wildly popular bakery. And keep scrolling to shop some of Levain Bakery's best sellers.