La Madeleine Country French Café began offering franchise opportunities in the U.S. to qualified franchisees and investors today.
La Madeleine’s new franchise program is a bakery-café concept and investment opportunity within the fast-casual segment. The program also better positions the company for future growth through the expansion of franchised bakery-cafés in addition to its company-owned locations.
“After nearly three decades of proven experience, the time is right to take la Madeleine to the next level and bring our distinct country French bakery-café experience to more guests across the country,” says Phil Costner, president and COO of la Madeleine.
“We have taken the very best that la Madeleine has to offer, enhanced it, and made it scalable for franchising on a major scale. In a highly competitive market, la Madeleine offers something that is truly unique to the consumer and now to franchise partners.”
In addition to launching the franchise program, la Madeleine is rolling out a new, refined bakery-café design, which will serve as the model for future franchised and company-owned locations.
At about 3,500 square feet, the new prototype design will significantly enhance the guest experience and deliver operational efficiencies. The first of this new design will be unveiled this fall at the opening of la Madeleine’s company-owned location at NorthPark Center in Dallas followed by locations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Tysons Corner Mall in Virginia.
Chris Cheek, vice president of franchise development for la Madeleine’s parent company Le Duff America, is leading the franchise initiative and drawing upon his deep experience in managing respected franchise programs for other well-known brands, including Bruegger’s Bagels.
“Our goal is to work with experienced operators who are passionate about our brand and provide them with a world-class concept and extensive support to help them grow their business and the la Madeleine brand,” Cheek says.
A la Madeleine franchise owner will be required to have experience as a multiunit restaurant operator and the financial and operational resources to undertake development of a multiunit territory.
