New York

Godiva Serving Up ‘Croiffles' at First Permanent Cafe in Manhattan

The Godiva Cafe in Midtown is geared towards the busy, on-the-go lifestyle of millennials, according to executive chef and chocolatier Thierry Muret

What to Know

  • Godiva opened its first permanent cafe in Manhattan
  • A "croiffle" — a stuffed croissant pressed into a waffle — is on the menu in savory varieties
  • The cafe is targeted towards people ages 25 to 35 who live busy, on-the-go lifestyles

Godiva’s first permanent cafe is opening in Manhattan, with a menu that includes a croissant-waffle hybrid known as the "Croiffle," in addition to their other delectable Belgian treats.

The Godiva Cafe in Midtown is geared towards the busy, on-the-go lifestyle of millennials, according to executive chef and chocolatier Thierry Muret.

Inside the cafe, you will not find walls covered with millennial pink, but instead, a decades-old brand of quality, inventive, forward-thinking and delicious food.

The prioritization of the brand and the quality is sure to reign supreme over the pure aesthetics approach of other millennial-targeted shops. 

Muret is the mind behind the new buzzworthy Croiffle — a stuffed croissant pressed into a waffle. A fan favorite is sure to be the savory variety, especially the expertly-crafted three-cheese Croiffle.

Through simplicity, Muret has actually created something quite unexpected and unique. The croissant is first precisely warmed in an oven to ensure thorough internal heating.

Then, the whole croissant is pressed into the waffle maker, creating a flaky and and slightly crispy crust around the outside that wasn’t there before.

Through the two-step heating process, Muret solves the internal temperature problem that comes with the iron alone, as well as the mushy, uninteresting texture that comes from the oven alone, he said.

Muret said his dream and a validation of the cafe’s success would be to see a customer ordering at the counter hurriedly while on the phone, receiving a freshly-made item in minutes, and watching the customer stop everything for a mere second in awe of the first bite.

With a background in crystallography and engineering, science inspires all of Muret's creations. 

His method is similar to that of chefs of molecular cuisine, who decompose and recompose the food as an exploration. Science not only helps food taste better, but it helps with predictability when it comes to recreating it over and over again, Muret mentions.

Being a chef wasn’t exactly where Muret expected his career to take him, Muret told NBC 4 New York. 

After his sister came to the U.S. in the 80s, she asked Muret to start a Belgian chocolate shop with her in Chicago.

He then switched to food and went into a traditional Belgian apprenticeship, where his master told him that chocolate is all about forming crystals, he said. 

After the president of Godiva tasted Muret’s chocolates at The Fancy Food Show, the rest was history. Though his path is unusual, universities like Purdue have created "culinology" programs in which students go into culinary after obtaining their bachelor’s degrees.

Though the international brand of Godiva exudes decadence through the well-known premium Belgian chocolates, accessibility is very important to Muret.

Not only do the menu prices need to stay affordable, Muret mentions that he is exploring ways to create vegan and gluten-free menu items without sacrificing texture and flavor.

Though that’s one of the biggest challenges, especially with foods like a croissant, Muret’s relationship with science will surely help.

Currently, Muret is trying to perfect the foundation of the menu items, many of which are already vegetarian friendly.

In one of the world’s most diverse cities, Muret is hopeful that the cafe will be a destination for chocolate lovers and beyond.

According to Muret, the Godiva Cafe is even going to have a new mystery customization feature coming as early as 2020.

You can try the full menu now at the Godiva Cafe at 560 Lexington Ave. in Manhattan.

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