La Madeleine French Country Café debuted a franchise program Monday, the first in the Dallas-based bakery-café concept’s 28-year history.
The first prototype in the franchise program will open in late October in Dallas’ NorthPark Mall, with several more new units planned, the company said.
“It’s a terrific time [to start franchising],” said Phil Costner, who recently was named president and chief operating officer of La Madeleine. “We’ve spent the past three and a half years strengthening the brand across the board. The box economics are a lot stronger. We’ve reduced the cost of building a La Madeleine a significant amount, and we’ve simplified the operation greatly.”
La Madeleine, a division of Group Le Duff, operates 60 bakery-cafés in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, as well as the Washington, D.C., area. The company expects new franchised units to require a capital investment of $800,000 to $1.25 million, with an initial franchise fee of $40,000.
Chris Cheek, vice president of franchise development at Group Le Duff, said La Madeleine is well positioned in the restaurant industry.
“When you think about the bakery-café segment of fast-casual, it has been one of the best performers in the industry on a comp-store sales growth comparison, as diners continue to trade down from casual dining to fast casual,” Cheek said.
Phil Costner discusses La Madeleine’s franchise program with NRN; story continues on page 2
