Veteran restaurant and franchise industry executive John Dillon has been appointed as the new president of Dallas-based La Madeleine, a French-founded neighborhood café and bakery.
The company said the move further strengthens its growth leadership and aggressive expansion plans under Groupe Le Duff.
"John's extensive experience in the franchise restaurant industry brings exceptional leadership, strategic vision and a talent for driving authentic and aggressive transformation, which are all key qualities to guide la Madeleine into its next phase of expansion," Groupe LeDuff Worldwide Café Bakery CEO Lionel Ladouceur said in a statement. "We have big plans, and his proven ability to deliver results, foster innovation and connect with team members at every level, combined with his passion for the industry and our brand, makes him the ideal leader to build on our strong foundation and shape a bright future for la Madeleine."
Most recently, Dillon was founder and principal lead at HMS Growth Partners, an advisory firm supporting leaders and companies across diverse industries, including restaurants, hospitality, retail, education, and franchising.
Before HMS, Dillon spent more than 16 years at Denny's, where he held a succession of senior leadership roles, including EVP chief marketing officer, EVP chief brand officer and, ultimately, president of the nearly 1,600-unit chain. During his time at Denny's, he and his team successfully revitalized the iconic brand, earning widespread acclaim and business results.
Dillon also held senior leadership roles at Yum! Brands, Omnicom Group, and the National Basketball Association.
At La Madeleine, Dillon will be responsible for creating a dynamic strategy to drive sales, increase the number of franchise partners, expand the brand's market presence, and further enhance plans around store-level profitability, operational efficiency, restaurant design, guest experience, marketing, and menu innovation.
"La Madeleine has long had a passionate following of very loyal guests, and I've long been part of that club. Now, I look forward to helping the brand amplify its story and aggressively expand its growth," Dillon said in a statement.
He noted what makes La Madeleine unique in the restaurant industry.
"In a time when so many brands are trying to push for what makes them different from the others, la Madeleine inherently has an authentically powerful differentiation with its unique 'joie de vivre' French café experience and reputation for craveable, quality French-inspired menu items," Dillon said. "It's time to make some more noise, share our story more boldly and deliver exceptional results for our guests and growing family of franchise partners as we introduce the la Madeleine experience to even more neighborhoods across America and beyond."
La Madeleine is French-founded and French-owned since 1983.
The cafe's menu of all-day breakfast, coffees, soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, and entrees, along with a traditional French bakery display featuring fresh bread and French-inspired patisserie. La Madeleine operates nearly 100 corporate and franchise locations in multiple U.S. states and one international cafe in Bengaluru, India.
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