Ladurée

Founded in 1862 and subsequently responsible for inventing the famous macaron cookie in 1930, this Parisian bakery pioneered the concept of joining two delicate flavored meringue shells with a central ganache – a delicious invention that began to spread from the original location to new boutiques in the 2000s as ambitious new management expanded Ladurée internationally, and developed mass-manufacturing techniques to churn out the colorful little cookies. The brand became globally known for fruit, chocolate, and nut macarons, while also selling tea, coffee, and more common pastries in its classically French boutiques.

While competitors have popped up everywhere, and good macarons can now be purchased cheap by the dozen at Trader Joe’s, Ladurée historically remained a benchmark for tasteful, intense new flavors while maintaining a permanently available collection of classics. That having been said, Asian bakers have recently eclipsed the originator by innovating across a wider variety of exotic flavors, colors, and textures, notably during a period when Ladurée’s U.S. macarons have remained stagnant and sell for over $4 a cookie – roughly $2.50 per bite.

At one point, there was such a gap between Ladurée and its closest rivals that occasional treks to the maison’s official shops – such as the Beverly Hills store nearest Orange County – made sense. For the time being, that gap has largely disappeared, but given Ladurée’s long history, there’s every chance that it will retake its throne and redefine the market it created, a day we’re currently waiting for.