{"id":16490,"date":"2025-06-26T14:26:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T14:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/16490\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T14:26:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T14:26:15","slug":"why-some-of-nycs-best-new-bakeries-are-going-all-in-on-just-one-treat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/16490\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Some of NYC\u2019s Best New Bakeries Are Going All In on Just One Treat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h2 _1knl15h0 _1knl15h7 _1knl15h5 cej01i1 _1knl15hb\">Since George Kaya opened <a href=\"https:\/\/ny.eater.com\/2025\/5\/14\/24429600\/lisbonata-opening-crown-heights-bakery-brooklyn-new-pasteis-de-nata\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lisbonata<\/a> in Crown Heights in May, he\u2019s been fielding one question over and over: \u201cWait, you only sell pasteis de nata?\u201d The answer is a resounding yes. <\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">Kaya is firm in his decision to home in on Portuguese custard tarts at his new bakery \u2014 and he\u2019s not alone in choosing to narrow his focus. A slew of new bakeries have opened around the city that offer a singular item instead of filling up a pastry case with an array of options. While each shop had a different motivation for scaling down its menus, owners have found there are numerous benefits to selling just one sweet treat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">Kaya says his decision came down to his desire to provide a consistent product. \u201cI\u2019m a bit of a quality freak,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to focus on one product so I can be as good as possible.\u201d Making past\u00e9is de nata is complicated, as the flaky, laminated crust is filled with custard, then baked at high heat so the top becomes slightly charred and the center remains molten and rich. <\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">Perfecting this technique means that Kaya knows he\u2019s going to make excellent pastries each time, so he has room to get creative with new flavors. Lisbonata currently offers six flavors from traditional to fun twists like yuzu and pistachio cream. Kaya will introduce seasonal flavors as a way to pay homage to his start hosting farmer\u2019s market pop-ups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">Kaya says Lisbonata was an opportunity to really spotlight pastel de nata, which he says doesn\u2019t get enough love in the city. The same is true of <a href=\"https:\/\/ny.eater.com\/2024\/11\/20\/24301389\/mary-os-irish-soda-bread-east-village-manhattan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mary O\u2019s Irish Soda Bread<\/a> in the East Village. More popular baked goods also shine when shops give them the main-character treatment. Take flower-topped mini cakes at <a href=\"https:\/\/fromlucie.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">From Lucie<\/a>, doughnuts at <a href=\"https:\/\/ny.eater.com\/2025\/4\/22\/24414028\/im-donut-opening-times-square\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">I\u2019m donut ?<\/a>, and viral cookie shops like <a href=\"https:\/\/crumblcookies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Crumbl<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/chipcitycookies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chip City<\/a>, for example.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">It\u2019s not just local businesses that are concentrating on a specific treat. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.minutobauli.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Minuto Bauli<\/a>, an Italian bakery that pumps out fluffy sourdough buns stuffed with fillings like pastry cream and pistachio spread, just opened its first stateside shop just north of Union Square. <\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">The location marks the brand\u2019s 15th outpost, and the company\u2019s president, Enrico Bauli, says the fact that they only offer one pastry allowed them to expand internationally. \u201cIt gave us a strong identity and allowed us to stay focused on what we care about most: quality, consistency, and delivering a meaningful experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1d77pry1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.ny.eater.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/Sunday-Mornings-Bananas-Foster-Cinnamon-Roll-Coffee-by-Jeremiah-Dalmacio.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"4128\" data-pswp-width=\"6192\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img alt=\"Bananas Foster cinnamon roll and coffee at Sunday Morning.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1u5z0xk0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Sunday-Mornings-Bananas-Foster-Cinnamon-Roll-Coffee-by-Jeremiah-Dalmacio.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bananas Foster cinnamon roll and coffee at Sunday Morning. Jeremiah Dalmacio<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">The push toward specialization mirrors recent restaurant trends, where sprawling menus have given way to tightly curated lists diners can nearly order in full. It\u2019s a win-win in that restaurants save on ingredients and reduce food waste and prep time, while diners avoid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eater.com\/23810333\/meal-plan-hack-brain-dump-the-move\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decision fatigue<\/a> that comes with figuring out what\u2019s for dinner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">Armando Litiatco and Ahmet Kiranbay noticed that diners preferred a scaled-down menu at their Park Slope restaurant, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ranafifteen.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rana Fifteen<\/a>, so they decided to mimic the trend for their bakery, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sundaymorningcinnamonrolls\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sunday Morning<\/a>, a buzzy cinnamon roll shop that opened in January in the East Village. The shop is stocked with gooey cinnamon rolls made with enriched dough so they resemble Cinnabon-like confections. Beyond the classic, the shop is lined with trays of nine specialty-flavored cinnamon rolls like blueberry lemon curd and raspberry honey labneh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">Litiatco says while the duo is happy they decided to open a bakery with a tightened menu, the cost savings have been less than anticipated. <\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">\u201cThis project actually cost us a lot more than we thought,\u201d says Litiatco. \u201cWe thought, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s just cinnamon rolls.\u2019 So we budgeted less than we would for a restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">The shop does spend less on ingredients than a bakery that offers multiple types of pastries, Litiatco said. But they\u2019ve channeled those savings into using \u201cbest possible version\u201d of everything that goes into their cinnamon rolls so Kiranbay makes toppings like lemon curd and raspberry jam, plus ingredients like vanilla extract, from scratch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 cej01i1\">Serving cinnamon rolls and only cinnamon rolls means Sunday Morning is not for everyone. While it could be a risky business decision to fall into such a niche, Litiatco says it has helped them stand out from competitors in the bakery-packed neighborhood of the East Village.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph n2hx75i _1knl15h1 _1knl15h0 _1knl15ha cej01i1\">\u201cOpening a business is the scariest thing because you put your blood, sweat, tears, and all your savings into it,\u201d says Litiatco. \u201cIt\u2019s always a gamble. I was super worried right up until we opened. I was thinking, \u2018People better like cinnamon rolls.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1d77pry1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.ny.eater.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/Sunday-Morning-Owners-Ahmet-Kiranbay-L-Chef-Armando-Litiatco-R-by-Jeremiah-Dalmacio.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"4076\" data-pswp-width=\"6114\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img alt=\"Two owners of a cinnamon roll bakery.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1u5z0xk0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Sunday-Morning-Owners-Ahmet-Kiranbay-L-Chef-Armando-Litiatco-R-by-Jeremiah-Dalmacio.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Armando Litiatco and Ahmet Kiranbay of Sunday Morning. Jeremiah Dalmacio<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since George Kaya opened Lisbonata in Crown Heights in May, he\u2019s been fielding one question over and over:&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16491,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,16319,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-16490","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-dining-out-in-ny","10":"tag-new-york","11":"tag-new-york-city","12":"tag-newyork","13":"tag-newyorkcity","14":"tag-ny","15":"tag-nyc","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-united-states-of-america","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","20":"tag-us","21":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114750134411095905","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16490\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}