contents 10 12 34 40 44 48 FEATURES 20 28 30 32 BLOOMING IN BIG APPLE FUELED BY DONUTS PARTY PLANNING GIFT OF CHOCOLATE Bouchon Bakery spends tremendous energy on perfecting products that already taste great. Check out the latest developments at Thomas Keller's fascinating retail operations. Montclair Bread Co. is rising to the occasion with a new central bakery, a second location and its first electricpowered food truck. Learn why owner Rachel Crampsey is driven to succeed. Fresh bakery products offer a perfect platform to personalize any customer's celebrations. Several prominent retailers share tips for turning effective party planning into a profit center for your business. See how gourmet chocolate shops and high-end chocolate decorating are transforming the world of chocolate into a booming business for all. Also, La Maison du Chocolat celebrates 25 years in the US. DEPARTMENTS COVER 07 News Bites 18 Equipment 08 My Favorite Things 34 Bread and Baking 10 Management 40 Cake 12 Labor Front 48 Cafe 14 Ingredients 50 Products 06 < DEC 2015 | bakemag.com "We constantly want to grow, but not reinvent the classics," says Alessandra Altieri Lopez, director of Bouchon Bakeries, with seven locations across the United States. You don't reinvent the classic croissant, after all, but you can continue to perfect it. (page 20) Photo courtesy of Bouchon Bakeryhttp://www.bakemag.com