“Joie de vivre,” the French phrase translated to “joy of life,” is at the heart of French bakery and café concept La Madeleine. John Dillon plans to keep it that way.
“There’s something really, really special about this brand,” he said. “I’m a big believer that brands each have their own authentic story to tell.”
La Madeleine named Dillon president earlier this month. Dillon and his family have been longtime customers, he said, and his youngest daughter even worked there for a couple summers.
“It’s a brand we have personal history with, so it means something to our family. It means something to our community,” he said.
Dallas-based La Madeleine opened in 1983 and offers bakery and cafe items including all-day breakfast, coffee, bread, pastries, sandwiches, soups and salads. The fast-casual brand is one of a handful of restaurant brands under French restaurant conglomerate Groupe Le Duff, joined by Brioche Doree, Del Arte, Kamps and Le Fournil de Pierre.
La Madeleine has nearly 100 locations nationwide, 66 of them franchised. The brand operates in 12 states and India.
Dillon brings decades of restaurant and franchising experience to the role, which he hopes can advance La Madeleine’s growth initiatives.
He served as founder and principal lead for advisory firm HMS Growth Partners and has more than 16 years in leadership roles at family diner concept Denny’s, most recently as its president. His career includes stints at Pizza Hut and with the Houston Rockets.
Dillon highlighted his role in revitalizing Denny’s branding as a key accomplishment. “We were able to identify the unique North Star for Denny’s and mobilize the system behind it,” he said. “Each brand has emotional connections to make with their guests or their customers. I consider myself a storyteller and have an ability to make those kinds of connections. I see that potential here with La Madeleine.”
Dillon’s first three weeks have revolved around listening to staff, franchisees and customers alike. The company’s future growth and sales strategies will be heavily predicated on guest and franchisee feedback, he said.
Meeting with every franchisee, he said his primary takeaway is their collective passion for the brand. La Madeleine’s franchisees strike a good balance in prioritizing sales and profit while proudly building the brand in their respective communities, he added.
“I’ve eaten a lot of croissants, French dip sandwiches and had a lot of tomato basil soup,” he joked. “It has been an incredible time visiting with team members and tasting the food. I did a lot of research before I decided to join, but now going to the back of the house, talking to each and every one of our team members about their La Madeleine stories and why they’re here, it is just heartening.”
Dillon believes La Madeleine’s ability to stay true to itself in curating an authentic, French-inspired experience differentiates it within the bakery and cafe segment, as “so many brands over time have lost their way.” The brand blends its values of good food and good conversation, looking to serve as a welcoming third place for guests.
“It’s such a unique restaurant and such a unique cafe—between the food we offer and the experience that we offer—that is not easily replicated by others in the fast-casual space,” Dillon said. “That’s something that we look to amplify even more as we move forward.”
Though an exact growth plan has yet to be finalized, Dillon said growth is on the horizon for La Madeleine. Food innovation is also in the works.
“I can’t wait for more communities across the country and even internationally to be exposed to La Madeleine and the very unique experience that La Madeleine brings,” Dillon said. “I’m looking forward to that journey, both personally and professionally.”