# The Cronut and Dominique Ansel Bakery: Dominique Ansel

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2024-06-17
- Length: 1h 03m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel

## Summary

Dominique Ansel, founder of Dominique Ansel Bakery, recounts the accidental creation of the Cronut and the subsequent operational chaos of managing viral demand, including hiring security and enforcing strict line rules. He details the early financial struggles of his first Soho location, where he survived by fixing equipment himself and negotiating down to the millimeter on trash bag thickness. Ansel explains his strategic decision to resist mass production to protect product quality, leading to a controlled expansion into Tokyo, London, and Los Angeles, and the eventual pivot to a sustainable model with three brick-andmortar locations and a mail-order business after the pandemic.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=0) Introduction: Dominique Ansel and the Cronut
- [4:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=244) Early Life and Culinary Training in France
- [16:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=975) Career at Daniel and Decision to Start Own Bakery
- [21:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=1266) Opening the First Soho Bakery and Early Struggles
- [36:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=2199) Inventing the Cronut and Viral Explosion
- [41:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=2512) Managing the Cronut Line and Trademark Protection
- [56:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=3379) Expanding Globally and Quality Control
- [1:00:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-17-the-cronut-and-dominique-ansel-bakery-dominique-ansel#t=3643) Pandemic Impact and Current Business Model

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Dominique Ansel Bakery (company)
- Cronut (product)
- Daniel (company)
- Fouchon (company)
- Grub Street (company)
- Cookie Shot (product)

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- [Reinventing the Pizza Bagel: Bagelverse's Jacob Cooper on Nostalgia and CPG](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-10-09-reinventing-the-pizza-bagel-bagelverses-jacob-cooper-on-nostalgia-and-cpg) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Liv Truesdell of FROST Buttercream](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-12-12-founder-feature-liv-truesdell-of-frost-buttercream) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
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- [Founder Feature:  Taylor Espinoza of Unicorn Bites](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-01-16-founder-feature-taylor-espinoza-of-unicorn-bites) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

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