When From Lucie opened in the East Village for the first time at 11 a.m. on Jan. 14, a long line of customers had already formed on the sidewalk outside of 263 East 10th St.
“What are you all waiting for?” several New Yorkers asked as they passed by the line of people huddled in the dropping temperatures. The response came swiftly and excitedly: “A new bakery!”
That new bakery has been a long time coming for many fans of Lucie Franc de Ferriere, a culinary artisan who became famous on Instagram over the last three years showing off her mouth-watering cakes to some 50,00 followers.
Hailing from France, Franc de Ferriere lost her job during the pandemic and began baking from her apartment.
“I’ve been trying to just kind of promote my cakes with Instagram; it’s been doing quite well and honestly I was just like I need to open my own spot. Under a year ago, I found this place and I have been building it out for the last six months.” Franc de Ferriere told amNewYork Metro.
The extensive lines continued well into the afternoon, with passersby stopping in their tracks and attempting to peer into the storefront to see what all the fuss was about. With a seemingly endless succession of people showing up, Franc de Ferriere declared that she was taken aback by the staggering popularity of her new store despite her large following on social media.
“Honestly, I had no knowledge of how many people. I knew people were interested in it, but no one said I’ll be there. So, I just had no clue if it’s just people on Instagram that could be like in Europe or something just liking a picture or if it’s actually people living in New York,” Franc de Ferriere said.
The vast majority of those waiting to taste the goods reported that they have been long time fans of the From Lucie Instagram account with an appreciation for the artistry and were happy to wait.
“I followed them on Instagram, like maybe a year ago I read an article about her. So, I’ve just been following her on Instagram for a while and then I saw that she was opening a store and I was so excited. So, I wanted to come to the opening,” Brittany O’Malley said. “I had no idea what to expect. I was just like, ‘I’m gonna go;’ I don’t know if there’s gonna be a line down the street or if like, only a few people will be there. I had no idea, but the line moved pretty quick.”
Franc de Ferriere shared that she was overwhelmed by the reception and when asked the secret to her success she modestly answered that she simply tries to be true to herself.
“I am very true to myself and like my Instagram portrays me and I think people like to know a real story and a real person,” Franc de Ferriere said.
