It's been a pretty intense Cronut day here in New York, even by Gothamist's standards. While we've already told you about the absurd Cronut Concrete line that formed this morning at the Madison Square Park Shake Shack and the backroom dealings going on for the original pastries, what was even more surreal was the arrival of Cronut creator Dominique Ansel at Shake Shack, where he was treated like a celebrity by many adoring customers.
Ansel arrived at the Madison Square outlet of Danny Meyer's burger stand around 11 this morning with a fresh batch of Cronut holes, which were made specifically for today's event. "I knew it was going to be busy but I wasn't expecting this. It looks longer than the line at the bakery. We've been making the Cronut holes all night, we haven't stopped," Ansel said. Here he is arriving at the scene like Prometheus bringing fire to mankind:
Dominique Ansel Cronut Hole Delivery from Gothamist on Vimeo.
After depositing the fresh-baked pastries in the kitchen, Ansel was swarmed by reporters and fans, even signing shirts that were given out to the first hundred Cronut Concrete customers. According to Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti, the first customers lined up at 4 a.m. (which, by the way, is technically illegal, since New York City parks are closed until 6 a.m.), and by the time Shake Shack opened the line was "officially the longest line we've ever had in nine years," according to Garutti.
Cronut Hole Concrete Line At Shake Shack from Gothamist on Vimeo.
Manhattan resident Justine Karp was the last person in line when Ansel arrived, but she seemed confident that she would eventually get a concrete. "There are about 900 left, and by my calculations there aren't more than 200 people in this line, so I just have to wait it out."
While there was a lot of debate amongst people waiting in line about the hype that Cronuts have received, some seemed to think the line itself would make the Concrete taste even better. Manhattan resident Eddie Sosa, who got in line at 9 a.m. with some friends, one of whom gave up, was nervous the Cronut concoction not living up to the hype. "We made arrangements with our bosses, and we've waited for two hours. I am crossing my fingers that its going to be like a mouthgasm."
And according to NYU Law student Mike Camemcia, the Cronut Concrete did in fact exceed expectations. "It's fucking incredible. It's better than sex—well, it's creamier," Camemcia said.
We here at Gothamist got to sample the Cronut Concrete, and trust us when we say that sex is definitely better.
