Christine Lisa, Executive Pastry Chef
Company Mission
Daily Provisions is an all-day neighborhood kitchen from Union Square Hospitality Group. Open early, Daily Provisions offers our take on classic bakery items prepared each morning, including signature crullers, breakfast sandwiches, and freshly brewed coffee and teas. Throughout the afternoon and evening, Daily Provisions serves made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and seasonal sides, in addition to comforting dinner dishes like Roast Chicken and our brand-new Patty Melt. The primary mission of Daily Provisions is to serve the best possible version of those classic nostalgic dishes.
Signature Products
We’re most known for our crullers: crispy on the outside and light and airy in the center. Maple and Cinnamon Sugar have been on the menu since we opened, and we always have a third rotating seasonal flavor. After that, our Chocolate Caramel Chunk cookie has a very loyal following. We mix homemade caramel candy into the dough and when it bakes, you get pools of soft, gooey caramel in the center, plus crunchy edges from the caramel that oozes out onto the tray.
Production Tip
As we grow and increase production, we’re focused on efficiency and are always looking for ways to speed up the process with the equipment and space we have. Staff retention is key – I feel very lucky to have team members who have been with me for years. They’re motivated to find efficiencies on their own and I’m always impressed with the small things they do to shave time off a project, even if it’s just two minutes. On a technical level, and this might be obvious, but scaling recipes in multiple batches (if you have the space) has been a huge time saver for us. Use your vendors for help sourcing ingredients that will reduce labor hours. For example, we used to blend rolled oats for one of our recipes, but now purchase oat flour which has eliminated a step in production. Finally, partner with companies that share your values, especially for special menu items. For the holidays, we love to expand our pastry offerings by selling unique, delicious products made by small businesses.
Equipment ‘Must-Have’
Once we started making hundreds of crullers a day, it no longer made sense to cook the dough on the stove top. Having multiple small pots going at once wouldn’t have been efficient. That’s when we had to look outside the pastry kitchen for solutions. The savory team uses a Tilt skillet for the production of stocks – it’s essentially a giant pot that tilts forward for easy removal and clean-up. It has been a key part of our growth and we couldn’t live without it!
Secret of Success
We strive for quality and consistency which comes from well-trained, passionate employees. Hire the right people and don’t ever settle. It may hurt in the short-term when you’re working long hours to cover shifts, but you’ll be grateful to have made the investment in the long run. Our motto here at Daily Provisions is to make craveable food – things you know and love, better than you thought they could be. Keep it simple and tasty!
Future Goals
We’re excited to bring Daily Provisions to more people, whether through new store openings, exciting collaborations, or pop-ups.
For more info, visit www.dailyprovisionsnyc.com
(This article appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)
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