NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- New York has the best of everything. It also has no shortage of bakeries or patisseries. So when the craving strikes for a buttery, flaky, fluffy croissant, where does one turn?
Well, skip the Google search: we've done the research for you, and asked one of the most qualified people in the city to ask: France's consul general to New York, Cédrik Fouriscot. And just one month into his position -- he began on June 24 -- he's already in the know.
Almond croissants and plain croissants at Café Joyeux in Manhattan on July 20, 2024.David Caplan
Café Joyeux in Manhattan, on July 20, 2024, features an airy, yellow decor.David Caplan
"Café Joyeux, you have to go there and taste the croissants," Fouriscot told 1010 WINS/WCBS of the French import, which opened its Manhattan location in March. "Definitely you have to go, and I'm actually going there now. [It's] the first Café Joyeux in the United States, it's the first one, but not the last one."
He added, explaining, "It's a French enterprise ... Everyone inside this cafe has different backgrounds," a nod to its mission of employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Its mission statement, which is adorned on the wall of the NYC location, reads, "We promote inclusion of neurodivergent people through work, vocational training and encounters."
Café Joyeux in Manhattan, on July 20, 2024, displays its mission on the wall of the midtown eatery.David Caplan
Co-founder of Café Joyeux Yann Bucaille-Lanrezac (3rd L) poses with employees at Café Joyeux's Manhattan location on March 15, 2024. "We arrive with a lot of humility," Bucaille-Lanrezac told AFP.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Rachel waves to customers at Café Joyeux's in Manhattan on March 15, 2024.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Café Joyeux was launched in France -- with several locations in that country, as well as a location in Brussels, Belgium, and Lisbon, Portugal.
Café Joyeux's first US location is located in the heart of Midtown East.David Caplan
Thirsty? Café Joyeux's also sells lemonade and strawberry lemonade.David Caplan
David Caplan
The Manhattan location, located on Lexington Avenue in Midtown East, serves breakfast dishes (including egg and cheese on a bun, and baguette tartine, butter and jam), small dishes (including (gazpacho, quiche, sandwiches and salads) and of course a wide-ranging menu of coffee and tea and pastries -- think croissants, chocolate croissants, almond croissants, triple chocolate cookies, brownies, chocolate mousse and more.
Café Joyeux is located at 599 Lexington Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd streets.
Secretary of State in charge of People with Disabilities Sophie Cluze (L), French President's wife Brigitte Macron (2nd L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Café Joyeux on the Champs Elysees in Paris on March 9, 2020.YOAN VALAT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
