By Scott Etkin
On Monday morning, Upper West Siders will have a chance to enjoy breakfast and do some good all in one stop.
Maman, the French bakery and café, will be opening on March 21 on Columbus between 66th and 67th, and all proceeds from sales on that day will be donated to Welcome Baby, an organization that provides mothers in need with packages of essentials, such as diapers, wipes, a baby carrier, and more.
“Our brand is dedicated to our mothers and grandmothers,” said Elisa Marshall, the Creative Director and co-founder of Maman – which means “mom” in French – who opened the first café with her husband in Soho in 2014. (“It’s been eight years and we’re still together!”) She mentioned that they still use some of their mothers’ recipes at their cafés.
Since the pandemic began two years ago, Maman has donated proceeds to Welcome Baby from the first day of each new store. Ms. Marshall estimates that they generate $5,000 to $8,000 for charity with each opening. The opening of the Maman on Amsterdam between 80th and 81st collected about $7,000, she said.
“The unique thing for this opening is that the packages will be shipped to families in Ukraine and refugees in Poland,” Ms. Marshall said. They will have a staff event to assemble the boxes that will be shipped.
Ms. Marshall said that she was “pleasantly surprised” with the success of Maman’s location in the 80s, which opened last October. The menu, which changes seasonally, will be the same at both locations. Highlights from the new spring menu include: Raspberry Marble Cake with Elderflower Cream Cheese Frosting, a Strawberry Almond Croissant and new drinks such as a Butterfly Pea Flower Latte. They will also have Oprah’s favorite Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Speaking about the proximity of the two UWS locations, Ms. Marshall said that there is enough space for both because the ‘80s has more residential density while the ‘60s has more commercial density. She noted that the new location is across the street from ABC studios.
Maman will be open weekdays for counter service from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. On weekends it will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and have brunch service. They also offer catering and events in the evening — Ms. Marshall said they are a popular spot for baby showers. From the floral arrangements to the patterns on the cups and plates, Maman tries to create a “multi-sensory experience [that’s] more experiential dining than the average coffee shop,” she said.
Ms. Marshall encourages customers to download the Maman app for a $5 credit. Maman doesn’t take reservations but you can order ahead through the app.
I will surely head down to contribute to such a worthy cause – by partaking of such delicious sounding fare. Wonderful and heartening efforts by Maman! Thanks to WSR for such positive and helpful reporting!
I totally agree! What a kind and wonderful effort by Maman. Ukrainians desperately need our help and this is a very generous move. I, too, will partake and admire… Welcome, Maman…