Cronut t-shirt benefits charity, doubles number of Cronuts patrons can purchase

(Dominique Ansel Bakery)

Finally, there may be a meaningful outcome from the massive Cronut lines outside Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City.

Since introducing the Cronut in May, the bakery has experienced a nationwide frenzy for the cross-bred pastry made from croissant dough and fried like a doughnut.

Even now, months later, the daily average for the line in front of Dominique Ansel Bakery is around 200 people.

But now Chef Dominique Ansel has decided to capitalize on that Cronut obsession to benefit New Yorkers in need. Starting Aug. 1, the bakery will be selling a limited edition t-shirt, which will benefit a charity for the hungry. But there is an added bonus. The bakery will also allow customers to double the number of Cronuts they can buy, increasing the limit from two to four.

The shirt, which will be available through Tee Springs’ website, comes in only black and reads “Crolanthropy – Making the world better, one Cronut at a time.” The shirt will be on sale for two weeks. Then, for the month of Sept., customers who wear the shirt to Dominique Ansel Bakery will be able to purchase four Cronuts at a time.

All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will benefit Food Bank for New York City.

At $20 per shirt, the proceeds from one shirt will provide 50 meals to a New Yorker in need. Citywide, the charity helps provide 400,000 free meals a day to New York’s hungry.

“Hunger is a problem I have experienced myself growing up,” Ansel said in a release. “Not many people know, but I grew up in a very poor family with three other siblings…I’m not sure how much money we’ll be able to generate. Keep in mind we are a small one shop bakery. But I do think any bit we do get will be a success and a step forward.”

The initiative comes during Food Bank’s national hunger awareness month in Sept. While there is no precise goal for the amount of funding the bakery hopes to generate from the sale, Tee Springs’ website states that they hope to sell a minimum of 200 shirts, which would be $4,000 in charitable donation.

“Having a mission to give back to the community and different causes is a lifestyle,” Ansel said. “You don’t often get to choose when to help, but when the opportunity comes, it’s always good to try.”