DALLAS — International finance and hospitality executive Olivier Poirot has been named chief executive officer of Le Duff America Inc. Le Duff America is the U.S. subsidiary of Groupe Le Duff, a leader in the bakery-cafe segment with nearly 1,700 locations across 5 continents and 80 countries.
Mr. Poirot most recently was senior vice-president and chief financial officer of Sodexo North America. Earlier, he was c.e.o. of Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6.
In his new position at Le Duff America, Mr. Poirot will lead a multi-brand initiative to drive growth through a renewed focus on franchising at the group’s portfolio of brands, which includes la Madeleine Country French Cafe, Bruegger’s Bagels, Brioche Doree and Mimi’s Cafe.
“We see huge opportunity, particularly for la Madeleine and Bruegger’s Bagels in 2017, to expand exponentially through aggressive franchising efforts,” Mr. Poirot said. “As a global leader in the bakery-cafe segment, we know that great franchise partners, paired with an excellent franchise offering that includes above-market AUV, brand equity and a focus on food quality and guest experience, can generate growth beyond what we can achieve on our own.”
Le Duff plans to undertake an aggressive franchise development at Bruegger’s Bagels, which offers New York-style bagels, 100% made-in-Vermont cream cheese and coffees, soups, salads and sandwiches. The bakery-cafe chain currently operates 275 locations throughout the United States.
Meanwhile, at Brioche Doree, Groupe Le Duff’s Parisian-style bakery-cafe brand that offers freshly made sandwiches, salads, soups, quiche and pastries, the company plans to open three to six corporate-owned locations in major urban centers in 2018, followed by franchise openings in subsequent years. Brioche Doree currently operates in the United States primarily in non-traditional locations such as airports and on college campuses with limited offerings.
