Overview
- The Knicks’ first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999 has prompted a citywide surge of themed foods and novelty merchandise, with bakeries, pizzerias, cafes and shops turning out blue-and-orange bagels, dot cakes, pizzas, donuts and shirts.
- New Jersey businesses documented in local reporting include B Bagels’ orange-and-blue bagels, Francesca Pizza + Pasta’s ‘NY Knicks Pie,’ Mojo Coffee’s Knicks latte and several bakeries and cafes offering cupcakes, donuts and themed drinks.
- Vogue staffers found similar items across New York City, including Butterfield Market dot cakes, Homie’s Donuts’ sold-out Knicks doughnuts and Zabar’s Knicks-themed black-and-white cookies, and noted celebrity posts from figures who boosted demand.
- Shops are using visible color techniques such as blue spirulina, dyed cold foam and orange buttercream to create Instagram-friendly items, and many releases are time-limited or selling out quickly because of high social-media interest.
- Beyond short-term sales, the trend is tied to civic pride around the Knicks’ Finals run and is providing small businesses with a fast publicity and revenue boost that could shape future event-driven product drops.