Greer's OC

Levain Bakery opens its first Orange County location at Fashion Island in Newport Beach on Friday, Sept. 4, at 8 a.m. The New York bakery, known for its six-ounce cookies, will bring its full lineup of cookies, breads, pastries and coffee to the fourth Southern California shop in its growing footprint. For longtime Levain fans and anyone with a soft spot for a good cookie, this is a big one. The wait for a taste of the cult favorite right here in OC is almost over.

The first 100 people in line Friday will get a custom Levain Bakery Newport Beach tote filled with bakery swag. All opening day proceeds go to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, continuing a practice Levain started in 2019. After opening day, unsold baked goods will be donated daily to Abound Food Care to help cut food waste and feed the community.

Founders Weekes and McDonald opened the first Levain Bakery in New York City in 1995. What began as a neighborhood bread shop turned into something bigger when they started selling cookies on the side, and those cookies sold out fast. Three decades later, Levain still bakes its breads, pastries and cookies by hand every day, using the same recipe from 1995.

The Newport Beach bakery will carry Levain's full menu: signature cookies, artisan breads, savory sandwiches, muffins and pastries, plus full barista service with cappuccinos, cold-foam drinks, matcha, lattes and the brand's Cookie Milk Latte. It joins Levain locations in New York, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Levain also offers catering and event services for weddings, corporate meetings and private parties, with table-ready packages of its cookies, breads, pastries and sandwiches.

Once open, the bakery will run daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with local pickup and delivery available. It's located at 315 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, in Fashion Island, near Macy's and Sushi Roku.