“It makes me so happy to see all these people,” he says of the lines of fans. “People are in lines for what? For iPhones, for concerts, but never for food, not like this anyway.” While the food-obsessed are certainly willing to wait for Aaron Franklin’s barbecue or Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack burgers, it’s true that Ansel’s followers are a particularly fanatical breed. Perhaps that’s because they know they have a good shot at shaking the hand that created the Cronut; Ansel personally brings his customers lemonade when it’s hot outside, or warm Madeleines when it’s cold. The day the Tokyo shop opened, it was particularly sunny, so he provided umbrellas for shade and mineral-rich facial spray for refreshment.
“I put myself in their shoes,” Ansel says. “What would I do if were waiting here for two hours? How would I feel? If you brought me a snack, I would feel that you care for me. I would feel appreciated.”