French restaurant chain looks to open first KC area location. Seven more on the way?
Dallas-based French restaurant La Madeleine wants to open eight locations in the Kansas City area.
The first could open as soon as early 2025, said Mark Ramage, senior director of franchise development. Ramage said they’ve been looking in Overland Park and “beyond,” and they hope to have a lease signed in the next couple of months.
“It looks promising, and we’ll see how we move forward on approval,” he said.
La Madeleine is a bakery and cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It offers sandwiches (like the chicken salade croissant), soups (the French onion is one) and more. Brunch items include its croque madame: ham, Swiss cheese and garlic cream sauce baked on country bread, then topped with a fried egg.
Pastry options include its lemon madeleines, chocolate tarts and eclairs.
“We have a broad menu,” Ramage said. “It has a very strong … attractive bakery side to it.”
Ramage said La Madeleine is close to reaching an agreement with a Kansas City-based franchise group, which he couldn’t disclose. The group has dealings with several other businesses in the metro, he said.
If the deal is inked, the group would open eight restaurants over five years.
“They’ve not only looked for number one already, they looked at number two, and then working on number three, so that helps accelerate that schedule,” Ramage said.
Patrick Esquerre opened the first La Madeleine in Dallas in 1983. Today the chain has about 90 locations internationally. The Kansas City area spots would be the first in the Midwest.
La Madeleine locations are typically 3,500 to 4,500 square feet and employ 25 to 30 workers. The company sells its preserves, dressings and spices online at lamadeleine.com.
