Brian Leosz had a sweet tooth as a child and an aunt who baked. This was the foundation of a sweet career in croissants.
Leosz and his bicycle cart are a fixture on the edge of college campuses in Providence, in particular the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. He uses social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook to let people know where he’ll be.
Leosz started his business, Butterbang LLC, in October, after relocating from Denver. He makes about 1,000 croissants a week.
The bike, he said, offers a means of selling croissants without the financial commitment of opening a café.
“I love to bike. It’s something that puts a huge smile on my face,” he said. “Going full-scale into retail, opening a café, is a huge endeavor. I wanted to do this in a very financially responsible manner.”
The croissants he creates in a commercial kitchen in Olneyville include four basics -- classic, almond, choco and choco-almond – as well as his own visions. The Dainty Pig is flavored with prosciutto, gouda and rosemary. The Yum Roll is cinnamon with glazed caramel. Prices range from $3.75 to $5.50.
In addition to the bike cart, on weekends, he has counter hours at his shop in the Atlantic Design Works building on Aleppo Street in Providence.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.