Tucked away on Greenpoint Avenue, just past West Street and almost at the East River waterfront, sits a small Greenpoint bakery, Ovenly. Possibly best known for their salted chocolate chip cookies, Ovenly wants to “be that place of joy and zen in the community,” co-founder Erin Patinkin told us. And it’s not just in the Greenpoint community, where their flagship store is located, where they want to bring joy, it’s every community. The founders want Ovenly to be the most well-known bakery brand in America.
Patinkin and Ovenly co-founder Agatha Kulaga met at a women’s food-focused book club. They were the only non-food professionals meeting with the group, Patinkin worked with nonprofits and Kulaga in psychiatry research with NYU’s School of Medicine, but in 2010, they launched their business. Both kept their day jobs but started making and selling high-end bar snacks, finding bars who wanted to up their food game (Brooklyn Brewery was their first client). One particular client whose bar was a cafe in the morning was having trouble finding a good wholesale baker. They agreed to start baking sweet and savory items, coming up with creative, satisfying, mouth-watering recipes. Within the year, the two women had to quit their jobs because they were baking full time.
Ovenly owners Erin Patinkin and Agatha Kulaga, Photo by Dustin Cohen
Ovenly’s space on Greenpoint Avenue wasn’t originally intended for retail, Patinkin says, it was meant to be a showcase for their wholesale business and was only open to the public three days a week. She remembers when people would frequently knock on their door asking for coffee and cookies. Seeing the demand, and wanting to take things further, Patinkin says, “We both got into food because we loved the hospitality. We love feeding people. The retail experience allows us to have that interaction with customers that we love.” And so, their retail shop opened, and they welcomed people seven days per week, in 2012.
In 2015, the co-founders opened their second location in Urbanspace Vanderbilt at Grand Central, in 2017 they opened Ovenly Park Slope, and just earlier this month welcomed their fourth location in Williamsburg to the fold. Patinkin and Kulaga plan to open one to two more shops every year until 2021.
Ovenly’s newest location in North Williamsburg
Ovenly’s expansion is ambitious, but it’s supported by the vision and values that make up their unique business practice, a philosophy they call radical responsibility. “We know that without our staff this company is nothing. We want to be intentional in how we work,” Patinkin emphasized.
Calling on their social justice and social work pasts, Patinkin and Kulaga rethought their business model to include steps to dramatically improve the social and environmental circumstances for both employees and customers. 30% of Ovenly employees are formerly incarcerated young people or refugees. Every employee is offered an impressive benefits package, including sick and vacation days, 401k and health benefit options, opportunities for professional development, and salaries way above industry average. They’ve reduced their landfill-bound waste by 60% and all unsold food goes to soup kitchens.
Ovenly’s flagship location in Greenpoint
When we asked why this work was important to her, Patinkin told us, “I believe in the value of diversity, not just as a part of my moral compass, but I believe, and I think research has shown, that diverse work environments actually produce better results.” She continued, “We want to build careers, not just provide jobs.” And it’s working. In an industry plagued by constant hiring and firing, Ovenly sees very low turnover. They have employees who have been with them since close to the beginning. Patinkin and Kulaga see the positive returns in investing in employees, making Ovenly not just a great place to grab a cookie, but a great place to come to work.
You can pick up your own copy of Ovenly’s cookbook at the store or online. Design by Winona Barton-Ballentine
Has this been difficult? Patinkin says yes. “I didn’t appreciate how hard it was until I did it, [but] it’s worth it in the long term to invest in people even if it means a short-term hit to profitability.” Plus, they’ve got great products. “There’s nothing that makes me happier than when someone comes in and eats a peanut butter cookie and says something like, ‘This is what my grandma used to make but better.’”
Ovenly’s original location (31 Greenpoint Ave.) is just a three-minute walk from the NYC Ferry Greenpoint stop on the East River Route. Check out their newest digs, just steps away from the East River route North Williamsburg stop (43 N. 5th St.).
