Starting in 2023, Valentine Erman of Braid Bakery hawked knots of babka, flavored with chocolate, cinnamon or matcha cream, out of her home in San Francisco. When she decided to move back to her native France last year, it appeared to be the end of the popular cottage food business.
But then a loyal customer stepped in: investment banker Roy Wang, who acquired Braid. He saw potential in the business, so much so that he’s opening its first permanent location in Berkeley on Friday — one he hopes will be the first of many.
“I love good pastries and there have been a lot of good success stories, like Crumbl,” Wang said, referring to the cookie chain that’s expanded explosively in recent years (before contracting), with about 1,000 locations nationwide…