Levain Bakery is preparing to open its first Bay Area location at Santana Row in San Jose, California. According to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, the bakery will take over part of the former Chico’s storefront at the shopping and dining district.
Levain will join roughly 30 food and beverage tenants at the mixed-use property, according to the Business Journal, which also reported that the chain has 20 locations.
Levain was founded in 1995 on Manhattan’s Upper West Side by Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald. The bakery is known for its six-ounce cookies, led by its chocolate chip walnut cookie. The company says that cookie began as a homemade snack the founders made while training for triathlons.
Beyond cookies, Levain’s menu includes artisan breads, sandwiches, muffins, and other pastries, according to the Los Angeles Times. The company says its cookies are made by hand in small batches every day.
Outside New York, Levain has locations in Washington, D.C., Boston and Chicago. In California, it opened its first West Coast bakery on Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles in 2023. It has since added locations in Venice, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach.
An opening date for the Santana Row bakery has not been announced.
