NYC bakery customer spots Costco boxes after buying a $12 croissant. Then she asks whether customers are being overcharged: ‘Insane’

A TikTok video has gone viral after its creator accused a popular New York bakery of reselling Costco croissants as house-made pastries — and at an egregious sum of $12, no less.

A New York content creator, who posts as @tallbrowngirlll, claims that a Times Square bakery called Le Parisien Bakery, situated on West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan, is quietly selling those pre-purchased croissants at a steep markup. 

She first makes the accusation, then turns the camera around to show a delivery guy putting down a box of croissants and other branded goods. “Absolutely insane,” she says, captioning the video “literal robbery” — a video that not only drew more than 150k views but also compelled several commentator accounts to pile on.

The footage, as @JoeD69 explained in his own video posted on the social media platform, shows cartons that include Costco’s organic spring mix and Kirkland Signature packaging. 

A 12-count box of Kirkland butter croissants sells at Costco for just under $7, or roughly 50 cents apiece. That is a 2300% markup, which certainly merits the “insane” categorization.

One user claimed that once you start to notice this trend, it gets harder and harder to ignore it at other bakeries. Another one added: “Unless you’re seeing the croissants come from the back on fresh-baked racks, coffee shops are always pulling this.”

“If I don’t see bakers kneading dough in the back I don’t trust it,” read another comment.

The bakery rejects the allegation, says it reuses old boxes

It’s worth keeping in mind that the clip doesn’t independently establish where the croissant she ate was actually baked. Le Parisien is denying the accusation, with an employee telling The Daily Mail that the bakery makes its own pastries daily. The croissants are made at a production site in Coney Island. Sometimes, per what the employee claimed, old Costco cartons may be used to transport them.

The bakery is also disputing the “$12 croissant” framing, telling the outlet that plain croissants run $5 to $6, while elaborate varieties with fillings like Nutella cost about the sum the TikTok content creator mentioned. 

Sourcing wholesale products is not illegal in New York, but the state’s law does prohibit false advertising. The viral video has reignited an old debate over what “house-made” means on a menu, and how explicitly restaurants should adhere to the idea. Le Parisien’s website still advertises “house-made” pastries made with “the finest ingredients,” and as of writing this, the allegations against the bakery remain unverified.