FLATIRON — A French bakery known for giving the public a chance to watch fresh loaves rise is opening its second American location in Flatiron this week.
Maison Kayser bakery, which has outposts around the world, will offer artisanal breads, pastries and sandwiches at 921 Broadway at 21st Street starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday, said Marine Blotacz, a manager of the international bakery chain.
The bakery also plans to open five more New York City spots by Christmas.
“What’s special is that each location has its own oven and everything is baked on site,” Blotacz said. “That’s what the concept is all about.”
The bakery has a separate grab-and-go section for pastries and coffee, along with a fresh juice bar, where customers can watch the bread baking and coming out of the oven, she said.
The 37-seat restaurant in the back will serve a casual menu of tartines, along with entrees including roasted Atlantic salmon served over a traditional summer vegetable ratatouille.
Maison Kayser, which has branches in cities including Paris, Tokyo, Dubai, Moscow, Seoul and Hong Kong, currently has one other New York bakery on the Upper East Side.
A branch will open at Columbus Circle in September, and another one will open soon afterward in Bryant Park.
All bakers in each branch are trained in France to keep the technique consistent, Blotacz said.
Each location uses a special yeast machine invented by the restaurant’s chef, Eric Kayser, called fermentolevain, which keeps yeast in liquid form throughout the leavening process.
“It makes for a better quality of bread, increases longevity, and makes the flavor way more intense,” Blotacz said.
