CHEESE BAKERY 2.0

Viral Croissants in the Shadow of Ukraine’s War

"Perched on the second floor of a historic residence between Rynok Square and Katedralna (Cathedral) Square, the bakery’s picture windows frame the Cathedral of the Assumption, its bell tower and the cobbled plazas below, creating an influencer-friendly backdrop. Founded in 2018 by Tatiana Mykytyn as a cheesecake shop and expanded in 2020, the business pivoted quickly to delivery during the pandemic and then weathered the 2022 invasion by hiring displaced workers and improvising through blackouts and attacks with strong team spirit. Head baker Kate Kraus adapted the viral Suprême into a local round, coiled croissant called the kravlyk, perfecting fillings such as pistachio, lime–pineapple–coconut, basil–black-currant and Nutella; the shop sells roughly 80 kravlyks a day at about $3.65 (around one-third the Lafayette price), making up roughly a quarter of its pastry sales. With Instagram-driven naming and a visible social presence, the bakery has helped popularize the pastry across Ukraine, and staff describe baking as a way to produce something beautiful and resilient amid ongoing hardship." - Adam Robb