04-07-2025
Scandinavian Bakery Binge In NYC As Smor Bakery Opens Its Third Location
Smor Bakery, one of several Danish bakeries in NYC, started in the East Village (pictured above) and ... More has added two more locations in Brooklyn.
It's not just French bakers that have taken New York City by storm; now several Scandinavian bakeries from Sweden and Denmark are flourishing.
Smor Bakery, with Danish roots, opened its third location in Williamsburg in late June after its flagship East Village and Clinton Hill spots, Fabrique Bakery from Sweden has 2 locations, a busy one near the Meatpacking district and another near the Empire State Building, and Ole & Steen, a Danish bakery, is the largest, having grown to 5 locations throughout Manhattan.
Smor Bakery and Test Kitchen's new Williamsburg location is 3,000 square feet and contains a retail bakery, café, shop and testing kitchen.
Why has Danish baking taken off in NYC? Several reasons, explains Sebastian Bangsgaard, a classically trained chef from Copenhagen, who co-runs Smor Bakery with his partner, Sebastian Perez, who might be called the two Sebastian's. He says restaurant pioneers with world-class reputations such as Noma and Geranium put Danish cooking on the global map.
This spirit of innovation in restaurants in Denmark filters down to other sectors, like bakeries, he suggests. And Danish spices such as cinnamon, cardamon, and nutmeg have been part of its culture since the Middle Ages. Hence Danes love a simple BMO, Danish for a roll with cheese and whipped butter. Both Sebastian's are native Danes who met as line cooks at Copenhagen's restaurant in Tribeca.
Bangsgaard and Perez were extremely enterprising when launching their initial Smor Bakery on East 12th Street in the East Village in 2019. They tapped a mere $1,000 of their savings and combined that with a $40,000 loan to open. Candid Bangsgaard admits that 'We weren't ready, but we opened because we had to.'
The East Village spot has two storefronts, one for the bakery and one for the restaurant. They grabbed at the second spot, which during the Covid epidemic, was offered at below-market rent. Perez notes that obtaining leases on side streets, not First Avenue or Second Avenue in the case of the East Village, made for 'lower rents and help us stand out, and create a quieter more calming atmosphere.'
When the duo opened their second eatery in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn in 2023, they drew predominantly from cash flow, pouring their profits into expansion, helped by a small debt investment from an original backer.
Their third location has a different name, Smor Bakery & Test Kitchen, because its Williamsburg test kitchen is where it's 'developing and perfecting everything before it's introduced in our bakeries or restaurant locations, not just baked good and breads, but also savory dishes and beverages,' explains Bangsgaard.
Hence, he says, it's testing out 'new condiments, pickling and fermenting various veggies, expanding our bread program, with loaves made using grains like Einkorn and Banko rye and options like dark chocolate sourdough, olive loaves and vegetable infused breads.'
For example, it recently tested a wild-rose raspberry swirl, which did well with guests and is now offered in its East Village bakery.
Perez says that its affordable pricing, trendy design and menu have enabled it to attract a larger, younger, demographic of guests mostly aged 20 to 40, which reflects the make-up of the East Village located near Cooper Union, NYU, and the New School.
What's next for Smor Bakery? Perez says it's looking to expand their baking operations, including opening additional locations in 'emerging neighborhoods around the city, without saturating the market. He says they'd also like to move into consumer-packaged goods and bottle some of its signature sauces, such as its remoulade. Lastly, they're looking into opening in Washington, D.C. in the next few years.
The two partners own 80% of the business and have expanded it with mostly their own capital. 'We should be able to scale it with our own finances,' Bangsgaard points out. 'It's all about making the right deal,' he notes.
He describes the keys to its continued success as: 1) Remaining cool and not becoming too corporate, 2) Continue to hire people who are affable and welcoming and training them right, 3) Sustaining its innovative design.
