Anthony Behind Claude Bakery

When Anthony Roonchareon moved to NYC from Thailand, he found a passion for cooking—starting with culinary he later turned to pastries for its art of preciseness. Pastries are “more measurable, more consistent, and more beautiful,” he explains. We agree, especially after walking into Claude Bakery.

Anthony’s favorite pastry is the Strawberry Rhubarb Danish in a fun pink color and currently in-season. But if he could only have one item on the menu, it would “have to be the Manhattan Blackout Cake,” he says confidently, “it's so simple, but a slice of it completely cures a bad day.” A decadent devil's food cake topped with chocolate ganache and sprinkles—we definitely devoured a slice.

Founded in 1982, Claude Patisserie was a venerable gem of the West Village. After the owners retired, Anthony and his team took over the space to bring the patisserie back to life as Claude Bakery. With the team’s “modern knowledge and strong foundation of baking,” they are persevering recipes while bringing in new, lively energy, adding to the things we love about this city.

How do you want Claude Bakery to be remembered?

“We would like people to remember us as a part of their lifestyle. Like, I want a good croissant—first thing that comes to their mind is Claude Bakery. I want a good coffee—first thing that comes up is Claude Bakery as well.

So that's why we deliver the value and expectation to meet the highest standard we possibly can. I would say all desserts, cake, and pastries can be integrated in that lifestyle. I want to be part of that memory—let's say they want a birthday cake, they think about us too. To be a special moment for everybody, that's the whole thing.”

Do you have a favorite moment since opening last year?

“We have a celebrity that loves to come in at certain times and certain days.

But the moment I remember the most is when two owners came in from a much bigger bakery brand asking how I’m able to keep up with such a tiny space. They were like, ‘Okay, so how do you do it? You must be good on inventory or organizing or managing.’

My response was, ‘I have a great team.’ So I would say the best moment is when someone appreciates you and you have your team to back you up. That's the best moment because you know you're not alone.”

How did you form your team?

“I started with Chef Andy who had worked for Michelin star restaurants, and we started putting out our best quality products. I think when people saw what we were doing, they wanted to be part of the team.

They got excited like, ‘How you do the layers of the croissant so precise, 25 layers, etc. I want to do that.’ So that's how we started recruiting the team. Recruiting the team is easy, but making the team stay with you is much harder—it's much harder to make sure everybody gives their best to everything.”

What do you think makes a good leader?

“It's very simple, you have to put yourself in their shoes first. I would say you don’t get leadership from the title, you actually have to earn it.

Leadership comes from sacrifice and sacrifice is putting yourself last. You put your team first and then you appreciate them. Ask them, what do they need? How can I make them better? Basically, you add value to the people that work around you.

If you make sure everybody is happy, and satisfied in what they're doing, they take pride on what they're doing and the value of it. So the value is reflected in their life too.”

See Anthony & Claude Bakery come to life here!

Located in the heart of the West Village at 187 W 4th St, add Claude Bakery to your morning routine. And if you ever need a pick-me-up, you know where to grab a slice of cake.

With Compliments to the Chef,

Jenn

Co-Founder, Shortlist New York