OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The owner of a French bakery says his little shop is now in big demand.
In this week's Shop the Heartland report, 3 News Now anchor Serese Cole shows us the sweet treat that has customers lining up.
Inside a little French bakery is the most sought-after pastry in town.
"I have heard nothing but good things about it," said first-time customer Kelly Ecabert.
"They showed up on my Facebook feed the other day and I said well that's on my way to work, I need to try one," said new customer Denise Hutfless.
"We can't keep them in stock," said Le Petit Paris owner Cedric Fichepain.
The buttery, flaky, deliciousness is called a Cruffin.
"The Cruffin is our basic croissant dough and we just shape it in a tube, and when it rises there's this muffin shape coming out at the end and we're stuffing it with different types of cream," Fichepain explained.
Fishepain said word got out on social media about their creation about a month ago.
Since then, the bakery sells about 100 Cruffins a morning.
On the weekends, customers line up hoping to get there in time.
"By 9:00 they're gone," Fichepain said.
The Cruffins go so fast every day, the bakery had to limit how many people buy.
Right now, you can only get three per customer.
"So it really is first come first serve," explained Fichepain.
"It's very enticing," said baker Meghan Allen.
Allen is the mastermind behind the Cruffin craze.
She saw bakeries around the country doing something similar and wanted to bring the delicious delicacy to Omaha.
After she got the go-ahead from the boss, it was full cream ahead.
"You take them out of the oven and you toss it in some sugar. Then we grab our filling and it is strawberry and creme this week," Allen explained.
"People love the cream and the crunchiness," she added.
Nearly every customer who stopped by the bakery while our news crew was there said they had to try it.
"It looked awesome. It looks amazing," Hutfless said.
"They've been talking about it for more than a month," Ecabert added.
The bakers work overtime to keep up with demand, but it's a challenge.
"People are kind of disappointed because they are not here," Fichepain admitted.
Customers may not get a Cruffin every time, but they rarely walk away empty handed.
"So they come and try everything," Fichepain said.
They try the other tasty treats in the shop, like the croissants, éclairs and fruit tarts.
By the end of the day, the bakery is usually out of everything.
Cruffin customers are excited when they walk away with the pastry prize.
If you want to sink your teeth into one, you've got to get going early before all the goodness is gone.
Le Petit Paris features a variety of Cruffin flavors. This week it's strawberries and cream. The owner reminds customers they are a small bakery.
While they wish they could make hundreds of Cruffins a day, it's just not possible. However, he is ordering more equipment to increase production.
If you want to try the Cruffin for yourself, Le Petit Paris is located at 567 North 155th Plaza in Pepperwood Village.
The phone number is (402) 934-7676.
To see their full menu visit their website.
https://www.restaurantji.com/ne/omaha/le-petit-paris-bakery-omaha-/ [restaurantji.com]
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