Renowned NYC-Based Bakery Seeks To Open Darien Location: Planning & Zoning

DARIEN, CT — Magnolia Bakery, the renowned New York City staple known for its decadent banana pudding, cakes and cupcakes, is seeking to open a location in Darien, according to plans submitted to the town's Planning & Zoning Commission.

The commission is scheduled to review plans for the new location during its regularly scheduled meeting on June 9.

The location is being proposed for 1020 Boston Post Road in the space occupied by Gofer Ice Cream.

"Magnolia Bakery is a very popular and renowned retailer of cakes, cupcakes and banana pudding, as well as coffee drinks," Baywater Post Road Associates II LLC said in submitted documents. The entity is proposing the change of tenant. "The layout on the first floor for Magnolia will be very similar to the existing Gofer Ice Cream layout."

Baywater Post Road Associates II LLC said the use will be similar to Gofer, but Magnolia would like to use a lower level for food preparation and baking, as opposed to storage.

Magnolia has been engaged with the Darien Health Department for the last few weeks to ensure compliance with health department standards, submitted documents state.

"There will be no material increase in deliveries or parking arising from this proposed modification to the approvals received by the Planning and Zoning Department for Gofer Ice Cream," Baywater Post Road Associates II LLC said in submitted documents. "There will be no material change in refuse removal arising from the proposed modification, nor will there be any material increase in staff required of the proposed change of use."

Magnolia’s hours of operation will be "expanded slightly" from those of Gofer, Baywater Post Road Associates II LLC noted.

Gofer's hours are 12:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Magnolia Bakery opened its first location in 1996 in the West Village of Manhattan on the corner of Bleecker Street and West 11th Street, and its offerings quickly gained popularity among locals and tourists.

The brand appeared on HBO's "Sex and the City" in 2000, and expanded with two more NYC shops and a Hollywood, Calif., location before the first international franchise bakery outpost opened in Dubai in 2010.

Magnolia began franchising locations in the U.S. in 2025 with the first location awarded to Holladay, Utah.

Along with multiple locations in NYC, and single shops in Los Angeles, Chicago and Utah, there are also bakeries in India, Kuwait, the Philippines, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Magnolia products and menu items are also available for shipping nationwide.

The June 9 Darien Planning & Zoning Commission meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. from Room 206 of Town Hall. The full agenda can be found here.

Magnolia will also go to Darien's Architectural Review Board for approval for its signage and awning in the coming weeks.