Dining · 21+ locations · NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Bethesda, Boston, Philadelphia
People think of Levain as the founder-run cookie shop that started it all on the Upper West Side. Growth-equity firm Stripes Group has held majority control since 2018, and outside CEOs now run day-to-day operations while co-founders Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald hold minority stakes.
The Big Picture
Levain Bakery's founders sold majority control to growth-equity firm Stripes Group in 2018, and neither Pam Weekes nor Connie McDonald holds a confirmed operational role today. Outside CEOs have run the 21-location chain for eight years, wages sit at NYC's minimum wage at the entry level, and the company publishes no supplier names or environmental disclosures despite a national retail footprint. The cookies are still made under the name the founders built, but the business now answers to Stripes Group and its investors.
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Company data last updated July 2026
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