La Madeleine to Open New Concept… in Walmart

Paris and Arkansas, together at last.

If you had a week to guess what dining concept might be partnering with Walmart, you might not guess that Dallas’ la Madeleine French Bakery & Café will be the candidate.

The Dallas-based casual restaurant will be partnering with Walmart and opening an innovative new Express prototype in select locations.

La Madeleine Express will initially open in 10 test locations throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. The first is expected to open in Garland this July and the remaining nine will make their debut shortly after. La Madeleine’s Express prototype will feature a smaller footprint ranging from 980 to 2,209 square-feet.

“We’re very excited about Walmart’s curated food service experience for customers,” said la Madeleine CEO Lionel Ladouceur. “We look forward to making it even more convenient for the DFW community to enjoy the la Madeleine experience, while also introducing our French comfort food to Walmart shoppers that are looking for more diverse dining choices.”

Photo courtesy of la Madeleine and FWBP

The new Express offering will provide a convenient grab ‘n go experience as well as an option to relax and dine-in. The menu will feature fan favorites like la Madeleine’s Chicken Caesar Salad and Tomato Basil Soup, as well as some new items, like pizzas, that have been created specifically for its Walmart locations. In addition, each Express will have a small retail area where guests can purchase some of their favorite menu items and discover new offerings, such as soups, jams and sauces. La Madeleine is based in Dallas and first opened in 1984. The company now has over 80 locations.

McDonald’s had been a partner of choice for several Walmart stores, but as McDonald’s works on closing some of its locations within Walmart stores, the retailer is looking to put local businesses and others into place.

McDonald’s has gradually been closing locations at Walmart stores over the years but will keep a presence within about 150 Walmarts.

Walmart spokeswoman Molly Blakeman said that in many instances the McDonald’s closures came about when leases ended.

The retail giant is taking the opportunity to get local businesses like barbershops and tool-rental facilities into the leased spaces. It is also looking at other food options, like Domino’s.

“We are excited to continue to bring in new businesses that make sense for our customers and their changing needs,” Blakeman said.

This article, written by Robert Francis, is reprinted with permission from the Fort Worth Business Press.