“Magnolia Bakery” is not just another metropolitan patisserie, but a significant pop-cultural symbol, the opening of which began to be discussed in the fall of 2013.
How do we know about Magnolia Bakery
This is New York's most famous bakery, which opened in 1996 in Manhattan. "Magnolia" was famous for traditional American pastries, in particular cupcakes. In addition, more than 120 varieties of cakes and pastries were produced daily within the walls of the institution, and the entire process of creation was visible to visitors.
The mention of the Magnolia Bakery café-confectionery could be found in the movie Devil Wears Prada, where the main character of the picture Andy bought her boyfriend the famous cupcake in America.
Many of the Sex and the City episodes were also shot within the walls of Magnolia Bakery, and Carrie Bradshaw herself lived on Bleecker Street, a few blocks from the establishment.
The first American cafe in Russia
The first Magnolia Bakery cafe (Moscow) was opened in the very center of the capital on Kuznetsky Most Street. The warmly decorated interior was filled with retro-style décor elements, so every visitor was instantly transported, not somewhere, to the very heart of New York. After all, it was there in 1996 at the West Village that the first Magnolia Bakery was opened. But the reason for the increased interest of the capital's residents was completely different.
According to visitors' reviews, it was here that one could try the legendary banana pudding or go for it in New York. In addition, in this paradise for the sweet tooth, it was proposed to try more than 150 varieties of desserts, from cupcakes well-known in many films to cakes.
True, nobody could taste all of them at the Magnolia Bakery in Moscow in one day, since only the main positions were presented in the institution's menu. For example, on Friday it was suggested to try a cupcake with walnuts and carrot cream cheese, and on Monday - the same dessert only from chocolate dough with vanilla and butter cream.
The appearance of some sweets was associated with the season, others complemented the menu during Easter or Christmas Eve.
Institution Concept
As Marta Zolina (PR director of Magnolia Bakery in Moscow) admitted in an interview, the establishment is an exact copy of an American bakery. No matter what cafe a person visits - in Chicago, Kuwait or in New York itself, he will not see the difference. The only difference could be the inscription on the plate, where the name is presented in different languages.
Magnolia Bakery in Moscow is a cozy bakery and confectionery, where every resident for a reasonable price could have a cup of invigorating coffee or aromatic tea, enjoying delicious and fresh pastries. Any treat could be eaten in the institution itself or taken home.
But the highlight of "Magnolia" was considered the process of creating desserts. All ingredients were brought from America. Therefore, to the question: "Is it possible to make famous cupcakes from domestic flour?" - the answer has always been negative, since there are discrepancies in taste.
Closing news
In Magnolia Bakery in Moscow it was always cozy, beautiful, tasty, and most importantly, inexpensive, so the news of the termination of the functioning of the three metropolitan institutions shocked every visitor.
The last bakery was closed on July 1, 2014. Unfortunately, the reasons, as well as the names of franchise owners in Russia, are still unknown. Representatives did not comment on what happened, and on the official website, which provides a list of locations, since then Russia has been absent.
So suddenly Magnolias faded, although Steve Abrams, the American company’s general director, promised that Russia would become a “big game” for Magnolia Bakery and that at least 5 such establishments were planned to be opened in the country.
According to official figures, currently there are 25 Magnolia Bakery bakeries operating around the world, the closest point for Russian fans is in the United Arab Emirates.