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How I Built This with Guy Raz

The Cronut and Dominique Ansel Bakery: Dominique Ansel

Jun 17, 2024
Dominique Ansel, the world-renowned pastry chef, shares his journey from humble beginnings to fame as the creator of the Cronut—a delicious fusion of croissant and donut. He recounts the overwhelming demand and chaos his bakery faced when the Cronut took off, leading to lines and scalpers. Ansel discusses the balance between culinary artistry and entrepreneurship, innovations like the cookie shot, and the importance of trademarking the Cronut. He also reflects on the impact of media coverage and resilience in navigating the challenges of business growth.
01:03:23

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Dominique Ansel balanced quality and growth to build a successful bakery brand.
  • Ansel's culinary journey from France to New York shaped his passion and expertise.

Deep dives

Innovation and Business Strategy

Dominique Ansel's journey from creating the famous cronut to establishing his successful bakery reveals the inherent tension between crafting exceptional products and running a scalable business. Despite the initial challenges, Ansel focused on building a sustainable and profitable brand, resisting external pressures to expand rapidly and instead prioritizing quality over quantity.

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