AJ Kim and Scott Sohn, the founders of Kumquat Espresso in Highland Park and Glassell Park's Loquat Espresso, just lately opened a bakery specializing in croissants in Highland Park. Fondry (a mixture of fond and foundry) debuted on April 20, 2024, to a line of shoppers anticipating a style of ache au chocolat and kouign amann, and bought out in simply 90 minutes in its first two days of exercise Kim and Sohn are partnering with Ivy Ku and Travis Chan on the challenge. Ku studied baking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris earlier than skilled baking in Hong Kong, whereas Chan got here to assist the bakery operation.

With Fondry, Kim makes use of the identical strategy he took with espresso retailers by specializing in a primary merchandise and making ready it completely. “We like to begin with one thing quite simple and one thing very primary, develop the standard,” he says. Kim selected croissants as the point of interest of the bakery as a result of she thinks they’re essentially the most important accompaniment to espresso. It took years of analysis and journeys across the globe to South Korea, Japan and New York to develop the Fondry croissant line.

White building with concrete planters in front with a sign above the door that reads

Exterior of Foundry.

The bakery serves 13 several types of croissants, together with plain, triple chocolate, ham and Gruyere, kouign amann, and a candy flat model known as keu-loong-gi in Korean. Fondry's croissants begin with a mix of flours formulated to attain a crispy outer layer whereas constructing sufficient gluten construction to have constant air pockets inside. The dough goes by means of a chilly fermentation course of earlier than being examined and formed. After every tray of croissants comes out of the oven, the employees takes notice of the outcomes to additional refine the baking course of.

Fondry presently operates Friday by means of Sunday and plans to develop service to seven days per week sooner or later; Loquat espresso is served on the bakery. Fondry's pastries can be found at Kumquat and Loquat on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, and Kim plans to adapt the pastry choices to every cafe sooner or later.

Opening Fondry in Highland Park a block from Kumquat was an apparent alternative for Kim who lives within the Glassell Park neighborhood, doesn't like commuting, and wished to develop the corporate's footprint in a group that was already a depart In Kumquat and Loquat, Kim frequently sees the identical crowd come day after day, he says.

Highland Park and Glassell Park skilled speedy gentrification marked by rising housing prices. In 2022, the opening of the Dunsmoor restaurant in Glassell Park drew a crowd of protesters to the opening evening occasion beneath the banner of “Dunsmoor is Carried out”. Protesters carried indicators saying “Dunsmoor displaces” and expressed concern concerning the harm the brand new restaurant would convey to the neighborhood. Though Kumquat and Loquat haven’t seen the identical push, Kim is conscious of the results that eating places have on gentrification in the neighborhood and strives to maintain costs extra inexpensive than different retailers within the space and offers worth to neighborhoods.

Fondry shouldn’t be the one challenge that Kim and Sohn have developed. On the finish of Could, the companions will transfer to a brand new headquarters in Cypress Park that may even be a roastery and a restaurant. The roastery can be open for public excursions as soon as they’re put in.

Fondry is situated at 4703 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042, and is open Friday by means of Sunday from 9 a.m. to three p.m.



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