

Original photo by Thomas Garry

Last week Dominique Ansel Bakery was shut down by the Department of Health after a video showed a mouse running around behind the counter. It was a tough break for Cronut lovers, but even tougher for the tiny Spring Street bakery that quickly became a media darling over the past year. While Dominique Ansel and his team—who have been working tirelessly, we're told, on remedying this—had hoped to be open again sometime today, they are currently still closed.

A rep for the bakery, Amy Ma, told us this morning over email, "The DOH did not find a single mouse or any rodent here at all. So much of what they cited as 'evidence of infestation' were cracks and holes on the walls that they saw as structural risks." Ma added they are "just waiting for our re-inspection... [which] should happen today."

The Health Department spokesperson told us this morning that "in order to conduct a re-opening inspection, Dominique Ansel Bakery will need to submit a pest control plan," which they have not turned in yet. And when asked if they could clarify what shut the bakery down, they did not mention cracks or structural risks, rather: "What made the infestation severe was that the health inspector found several hundred mouse droppings."

When we asked Ma about the DoH's comment on mouse droppings today, she told us, "We're of course deeply apologetic to hear there were mice droppings found. It is something that came as a shock and disappointment to us as we have regular deep cleaning scheduled. We worked tirelessly to develop a permanent upgrade, including a full re-cementing and refurbishment to provide a pristine environment for our customers and staff. All our kitchens are opened so people can see the entire food preparation process in full view and our commitment to quality and cleanliness. Please note that none of the mice droppings were found in our kitchen areas where food preparation is done. And there were ZERO mice or any rodents found by the DOH."

Back in October the bakery was also cited for "evidence of live mice present," though they were given an A rating at the time.