Which chef developed and trademarked the Cronut in 2013?

Dominique Ansel developed and trademarked the Cronut in 2013. The French pastry chef created the croissant-doughnut hybrid at his bakery in New York City.

Ansel introduced the pastry on May 10, 2013, at Dominique Ansel Bakery in SoHo. It uses croissant-like laminated dough, which is fried, filled with flavored cream, and glazed. The result looks doughnut-like but has the flaky layered texture associated with a croissant.

The launch became an unusually rapid food phenomenon. After a Grub Street article spread online, crowds gathered outside the bakery, with a line of more than 100 people forming by the third day. Ansel filed for a trademark on the name “Cronut” within nine days, making the name closely associated with his original creation.

Ansel’s wider career includes work at the Paris pâtisserie Fauchon and six years as executive pastry chef at Daniel Boulud’s restaurant Daniel. He later won the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Pastry Chef and was named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017.