bake - July/August 2020 - 33

"We had to weigh the options

"Most people cooperated and were

of how to proceed with business -

supportive and positive - they were

whether to stay open for take-out

happy we stayed open and happy to

and delivery or close altogether,"

continue to support."

Elsen says.
Delivery is helping
Making the bakery safe

With more people staying at home,

Within a week of the governor's

the food delivery service industry

order, over 369,000 unemployment

has skyrocketed. In fact, through May

insurance claims were ﬁled in New

2020, sales have more than doubled

York, according to the New York

year over year according to research

State Department of Labor. Nearly

from Second Measure. People do

every restaurant and bakery in the

not want to go out into the world

state was forced to furlough and lay

right now and they are willing to pay

off employees. Eliminating dine-in

others to do it for them.

customers forced the industry to

For bakeries in New York City, this

reimagine a whole business model

has been a lifeline, especially during

focused on take-out orders and

the early stages of the pandemic.

deliveries.

"Yes, business was slower and still

Most importantly, bakeries needed

is," Elsen says. Not all news was bad,

to ﬁgure out how to keep everyone

though. "Our on-demand delivery

safe if they planned to stay open in

increased dramatically."

what had become the epicenter of
a global pandemic.

transition from business-as-usual to
a take-out and delivery only model

third-party vendors," says Jessica

than other restaurants. Many items

Cheng, public relations director for

being sold do not need to be made

the Dominique Ansel Group, a chain

to order and are typically prepared

of bakeries founded in NYC in 2011.

earlier in the day. Restaurants on the

"It's something that is evolving

other hand need time to prepare

and changing daily as we educate

meals and are often best served right

ourselves and get more information

out of the oven. While the same can

from the government and CDC. From

be said about the latter for baked

mandatory masks and gloves since

goods, a fresh loaf of bread cooled

the beginning, to socially-distanced

to room temperature is still deli-

line markers, to plexiglass shields,

cious, but cold spaghetti - it loses

screening and temperature checks

its appeal.
"Our popular items still remained
popular through it all," Cheng

Even with safety measures in

says. "But there was also more of

place, the world was different and

a demand for simpler items and

customers still needed time to learn,

staples like fresh breads."

adjust and understand what was
happening.

Blackbirds Pie Shop in Brooklyn

bakeries, it can be a much simpler

plan for our employees, guests and

our best."

Melissa Elsen, co-founder of The Four & Twenty

Another positive is that for

"We have a full health and safety

- we are working on it daily to do

"Phase two has
allowed us to put
out our benches and
we intend to add
outside seating."

Dominique Ansel Bakery, whose
popularity was spurred by the

"People were nervous and appre-

creation of the Cronut, understood

hensive," Elsen says of The Four

that sometimes, it's the simple things

& Twenty Blackbird customers.

needed by the masses.

bakemag.com | JUL-AUG 2020 > 33
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