Twisted Croissant

Twisted Croissant is an independent bakery business based in Portland, Oregon, with locations in the Irvington and Sellwood-Moreland neighborhoods and additional availability through weekend farmers' markets. The business was founded by owner and head chef Kurt Goddard, who began selling pastries at farmers' markets in the Portland metropolitan area in 2017. Its early presence included markets in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Hillsdale, and Montavilla, allowing the bakery to establish a local customer base before opening a permanent shop. Goddard announced plans for a brick-and-mortar bakery in 2018. The first retail location opened on September 6, 2019, in Portland's northeast Irvington neighborhood. The approximately 1,800-square-foot premises were designed primarily as a production bakery, with a relatively small retail area and limited seating. A second location was operating in the southeast Portland neighborhood of Sellwood-Moreland by 2022. The bakery also continued to serve customers through selected weekend farmers' markets. The brand's identity is built around reinterpreting the croissant rather than limiting it to traditional butter or chocolate versions. Its pastries have included sweet croissants filled or finished with ganache, mascarpone-lemon glaze, and seasonal fruit, as well as savory formats combining laminated pastry with ingredients more commonly associated with sandwiches, stuffed breads, or regional comfort foods. The Loaded Corn Bread Croissant, for example, uses corn flour and contains corn, green chiles, pancetta, green onion, and cheddar cheese. The Monte Carlo combines ham, turkey, and Gruyère with crumbled bacon and maple syrup. Twisted Croissant is also associated with hybrid pastries, particularly cruffins and other croissant-based formats. The Raspberry Rose Cruffin has been described as the bakery's signature item and combines vanilla custard, raspberry jam, and a rosewater glaze. Other menu items have included caramel apple cruff puffs and croissant-doughnut or croissant-muffin hybrids with changing fillings and flavors. Some products require as many as three days to prepare, reinforcing the bakery's emphasis on labor-intensive laminated dough and elaborate fillings. The business maintained takeaway and Uber Eats service during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Mondays excluded from its stated operating schedule at that time. It also experienced a burglary in 2020. Twisted Croissant has periodically developed limited-time offerings tied to seasonal events and cultural holidays, including a cha siu bao-inspired croissant for Lunar New Year in 2023 and additional special Lunar New Year items in 2025. Local media coverage has generally positioned Twisted Croissant as an inventive neighborhood bakery rather than a mass-market chain. Its products have received recognition and favorable mentions from Oregon Wine Press, The Oregonian, Eater Portland, Portland Monthly, and PDX Parent. The bakery's competitive distinction is its combination of classical French laminated-pastry technique, playful hybrid formats, savory fillings, seasonal ingredients, and a strongly local Portland retail presence.

Twisted Croissant developed from Kurt Goddard's farmers'-market pastry operation in the Portland metropolitan area. Beginning in 2017, Goddard sold pastries at markets in Beaverton, Hillsboro, and several Portland neighborhoods, including Hillsdale and Montavilla. This initial format allowed the business to test products and build recognition before committing to a permanent retail location. In 2018, Goddard announced plans for a dedicated bakery in northeast Portland's Irvington neighborhood. The site opened on September 6, 2019. Its layout emphasized production: although the overall premises covered about 1,800 square feet, only roughly 600 square feet was allocated to retail operations and seating. The format reflected the brand's focus on handmade laminated pastries and a menu that could require extended preparation. Some products take up to three days to complete. Rather than presenting only conventional croissants, Twisted Croissant built its identity around experimentation with fillings, toppings, and pastry hybrids. Sweet offerings have included ganache, mascarpone-lemon glaze, seasonal fruit, and the Raspberry Rose Cruffin, made with vanilla custard, raspberry jam, and rosewater glaze. Savory products have included the Loaded Corn Bread Croissant, which uses corn flour and contains corn, green chiles, pancetta, green onion, and cheddar, and the Monte Carlo, made with ham, turkey, and Gruyère and finished with bacon and maple syrup. The menu has also included caramel apple cruff puffs and other croissant-doughnut and croissant-muffin combinations. The bakery continued operating during the COVID-19 pandemic through takeout and Uber Eats, apart from Mondays. It was burglarized in 2020, but the business remained active. By 2022, Twisted Croissant had expanded to a second Portland location in Sellwood-Moreland while retaining connections to weekend farmers' markets. Seasonal and cultural programming has become another part of the bakery's product strategy. In 2023, it offered a cha siu bao-inspired croissant for Lunar New Year, and it introduced further holiday specials in 2025. These items fit the broader brand approach of translating familiar flavors and food traditions into laminated pastry formats. Portland media have repeatedly highlighted the bakery's originality and neighborhood character. Coverage has included favorable or notable mentions in Oregon Wine Press, The Oregonian, Eater Portland, Portland Monthly, and PDX Parent. Recognition has focused on the bakery's cruffins, chocolate croissants, inventive filled pastries, family-friendly appeal, coffee, and role within Portland's independent bakery scene. Twisted Croissant remains a small, locally focused bakery rather than an international or national chain.

• 2022

  Sellwood-Moreland expansion

  [1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  A second bakery location is operating in Portland's Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood.

• 2020

  Pandemic service adaptation and burglary

  [1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Twisted Croissant continues through takeout and Uber Eats during the pandemic and experiences a burglary.

• 2019

  Irvington bakery opens

  [1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  The first permanent location opens on September 6, 2019.

• 2018

  Permanent bakery plans announced

  [1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  The business announces plans for a brick-and-mortar bakery in Portland's Irvington neighborhood.

• 2017

  Farmers' market operation begins

  [1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Kurt Goddard begins selling Twisted Croissant pastries at farmers' markets in the Portland metropolitan area.

A local, chef-led Portland bakery that combines traditional laminated-pastry methods with inventive sweet and savory fillings, seasonal flavors, and playful croissant hybrids.

• Hybrid pastry

  Raspberry Rose Cruffin

  A croissant-muffin hybrid associated with the bakery's signature offering. It combines vanilla custard, raspberry jam, and a rosewater glaze, presenting a crisp laminated exterior with a rich, filled center and floral-fruit finish.

• Savory filled croissant

  Loaded Corn Bread Croissant

  A savory croissant made with corn flour and filled with corn, green chiles, pancetta, green onion, and cheddar cheese. Its structure and filling make it a substantial, meal-like interpretation of laminated pastry.

• Savory filled croissant

  Monte Carlo

  A savory pastry combining ham, turkey, and Gruyère cheese, topped with crumbled bacon and maple syrup. The item balances deli-meat and cheese flavors with a sweet, smoky finish.

• Sweet pastry

  Seasonal filled croissants

  The bakery produces croissants with changing fillings and finishes such as ganache, mascarpone-lemon glaze, and seasonal fruit. These offerings express Twisted Croissant's emphasis on rotating flavors and local-seasonal experimentation.

• Hybrid pastry

  Caramel apple cruff puffs

  A seasonal-style hybrid pastry built around caramel apple flavors and croissant-derived dough. It is part of the bakery's broader range of playful cruffin and laminated-pastry formats.

• Limited-time savory pastry · 2023

  Cha siu bao croissant

  A Lunar New Year special inspired by cha siu bao, using the familiar barbecued-pork-bun flavor profile in a croissant format. The item illustrates the bakery's practice of adapting culturally recognizable flavors to laminated pastry.

• 2025Lunar New Year specials

  Portland, Oregon

  The bakery again offered special menu items for Lunar New Year.

  Outcome. No quantified campaign results are available.

  Source
• 2023Lunar New Year cha siu bao croissant

  Portland, Oregon

  Twisted Croissant marked Lunar New Year with a limited-time croissant based on the flavors of cha siu bao, or barbecued pork buns.

  Outcome. The item was reported as a seasonal offering; no sales or other quantified outcome is available.

  Source

• 2022

  Expand to a second Portland neighborhoodStrategy

  Background

  Following the Irvington shop's establishment, the bakery expanded its physical presence within Portland.

  Action taken

  A second location opened or began operating in Sellwood-Moreland.

  Aftermath

  Twisted Croissant had two Portland locations by 2022, alongside farmers'-market availability.

  Source

• 2020

  Adopt takeaway and delivery operations during COVID-19Strategy

  Background

  The pandemic disrupted normal bakery and restaurant service patterns.

  Action taken

  Twisted Croissant continued serving customers through takeout and Uber Eats, except on Mondays.

  Aftermath

  The business continued operating during the pandemic; no financial results are available.

  Source

• 2018

  Move from markets to a permanent bakeryStrategy

  Background

  After operating through Portland-area farmers' markets, Kurt Goddard planned a dedicated production and retail location.

  Action taken

  The business pursued and opened an Irvington bakery in 2019, retaining farmers' markets as an additional channel.

  Aftermath

  The permanent location established Twisted Croissant as a neighborhood bakery and was followed by a second Portland location by 2022.

  Source

• 2025

  Twisted Croissant presents additional Lunar New Year specials[1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Campaign

  The bakery again developed special menu items for Lunar New Year.

• 2023

  Cha siu bao croissant introduced for Lunar New Year[1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Campaign

  The bakery offered a limited-time croissant inspired by cha siu bao, or barbecued pork buns, for Lunar New Year.

• 2022

  Second location opens in Sellwood-Moreland[1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  By 2022, Twisted Croissant had expanded from its Irvington base to a second Portland location in Sellwood-Moreland.

• 2020

  Twisted Croissant adapts operations during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The bakery continued operating through takeout and Uber Eats, except on Mondays, while also reporting a burglary during the year.

• 2019

  First Twisted Croissant bakery opens in Irvington[1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The first permanent bakery opened on September 6, 2019, with most of the space devoted to pastry production and a smaller customer-facing retail area.

• 2018

  Plans announced for an Irvington brick-and-mortar bakery[1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Goddard announced plans to move the farmers'-market operation into a permanent production and retail space in Portland's Irvington neighborhood.

• 2017

  Twisted Croissant begins selling pastries at Portland-area farmers' markets[1]Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Kurt Goddard began building the bakery's customer base through farmers' markets in Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Portland neighborhoods including Hillsdale and Montavilla.

1. 1Twisted Croissanten.wikipedia.org