Menu and bakery innovation, a more energized café experience, off-premise growth, and disciplined unit performance set the stage for a strong 2026
Dallas, TX (Restaurant News Release) French-inspired bakery and café la Madeleine enters 2026 with growing momentum, following significant development tied to the successful first year of its Ignite the Joy strategic plan. Throughout 2025, the brand refined its identity, simplified execution and advanced guest-informed innovation to elevate the everyday experience with greater consistency across the system.
The progress reflects CEO and President John Dillon’s first year at the helm and the early execution of priorities designed to scale with clarity and confidence. Recentered on its purpose, “Spark Joy Every Day,” la Madeleine embraced a culture-led approach to change, aligning around clear priorities and reinvesting in the hospitality and warmth that have long defined the brand. The result is a bakery café that feels both familiar and newly relevant, rooted in heritage while confidently moving forward with a renewed sense of joie de vivre.
“Over the past year, we’ve been very intentional about getting back to the heart of what makes la Madeleine special,” said Dillon. “We simplified the business, clarified what makes us distinctive and listened closely to our guests. As momentum continues to build, 2026 is about delivering that experience with greater consistency and even more warmth across every café.”
As execution strengthened throughout the year, positive trends in both sales and traffic reinforced the impact of efficient day-to-day performance, elevated hospitality and menu innovation. While the in-café experience remains central, la Madeleine continues to grow its off-premise services. With approximately half of the business coming from to-go, delivery and catering, the brand is investing to ensure guests receive the same warmth and quality wherever they enjoy la Madeleine through improved digital ordering, packaging and execution standards.
In 2025, la Madeleine also refreshed its brand identity, evolving from “French” to French-inspired. The shift preserves heritage while creating additional flexibility for innovation across dayparts and occasions, informed by guest feedback and purchasing behavior, as well as ongoing input from café teams and franchise partners. Highlights from the year include:
- Introduced a smaller-footprint café prototype designed to improve unit-level economics and cash-on-cash returns.
- Expanded the franchise development pipeline and enhanced onboarding support for new partners.
- Launched a new brunch platform and broadened French-inspired flavor innovation across dayparts.
- Advanced product quality improvements and innovation across core menu categories, including Parisian Hot Chocolate, a lineup of Refresher beverages, and new salades, soupes, breakfast and bakery items, and more.
- Rolled out Le Pick 3, a value-focused platform designed to drive frequency without compromising the experience.
- Strengthened off-premise performance through improvements to delivery, to-go and catering, including digital ordering and packaging enhancements.
- Improved systemwide consistency through clearer operating rhythms, additional tools for cafe managers, comprehensive training and closer collaboration with franchise partners – creating a stronger foundation for growth.
- Recognized with numerous industry distinctions, including QSR’s “Best Brands To Work For in 2025.”
Looking ahead, la Madeleine’s priorities for 2026 center on consistent guest satisfaction, optimized unit-level economics and intentional expansion. Early signs of traction indicate the brand is positioned for its strongest pace of new café openings since 2017. Growth will be driven by new franchise development, rollout of the smaller-footprint prototype, increased presence in non-traditional venues and further investment in off-premise experiences that fit modern guest routines.
The brand is already off to a strong start this year with the return of complimentary bread and jam, a signature ritual that reinforces generosity and reconnects guests to a beloved tradition. La Madeleine has also introduced the Sweet Bakery Board, a shareable bakery experience designed to bring joy and discovery to gatherings and everyday moments. Later in 2026, the brand plans to introduce additional product improvements and expand its coffee platform to further elevate menu quality and enhance the café experience throughout the day, and implement targeted technology upgrades for team members and guests.
“Our focus is not growth for growth’s sake,” Dillon added. “It’s about building a brand that performs consistently at the unit level, drives profits for our franchise partners, and delivers an experience guests want to come back to. We are excited about what’s ahead, and we are ready to welcome more guests, grow with the right partners and bring everyday joy to more communities this year.”
For more information on la Madeleine’s menu and bakery offerings, visit laMadeleine.com.
About la Madeleine
Since 1983, la Madeleine has delivered an accessible, welcoming bakery and café experience made for comfort and connection. The café’s menu includes all-day breakfast, brunch, soupes, salades, sandwiches, pastas, coffees and entrées, plus a French-inspired bakery display featuring fresh bread, pastries and desserts. la Madeleine operates nearly 90 corporate and franchise locations across the U.S., with a growing presence in airports, universities and hospitals, as well as two international cafés in Bangalore, India. Learn more at laMadeleine.com.
About Groupe Le Duff
The world leader in bakery, pastry and catering, Groupe Le Duff is present in more than 100 countries and on five continents. Since its founding in 1976, Groupe Le Duff has achieved success through its restaurant chains Brioche Dorée, Del Arte, Le Fournil de Pierre, la Madeleine (United States), and Kamps (Germany), as well as its brands Bridor and Cité Gourmande, which manufacture premium quality products for more than 45,000 restaurants and hotels worldwide.
Contact:
Tiffany Martinez
Champion
817-919-6261
tmartinez@championmgt.com