Veteran restaurant executive brings exceptional leadership, strategic vision and a talent for driving transformation
DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — La Madeleine, a beloved, French-founded neighborhood café and bakery, has appointed seasoned restaurant and franchise industry executive John Dillon as its new president, further strengthening its next-level growth leadership and aggressive expansion plans under Groupe Le Duff.
Dillon most recently served as 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. Prior to HMS, he spent over 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 tenure, he and his team successfully revitalized the iconic brand, earning widespread acclaim and business results. Additionally, Dillon has held senior leadership roles at Yum! Brands, Omnicom Group and the National Basketball Association, honing his expertise in developing strategies and aligning teams to achieve outstanding growth.
“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,” said Groupe LeDuff Worldwide Café Bakery Chief Executive Officer Lionel Ladouceur. “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.”
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,” said Dillon. “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. 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.”
About la Madeleine
French-founded and French-owned since 1983, la Madeleine delivers an accessible and welcoming French bakery and cafe experience. 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, celebrates the craveable flavors and essence of France. La Madeleine operates nearly 100 corporate and franchise locations in multiple U.S. states and one international cafe in Bengaluru, India. Learn more about la Madeleine and franchise opportunities at lamadeleine.com.
About Groupe Le Duff
The world leader in bakery, pastry and catering, Groupe Le Duff is present in more than 100 countries and on five continents. Since it was established in 1976, Groupe Le Duff has achieved success through its restaurant chains (Brioche Dorée, Del Arte, Le Fournil de Pierre, la Madeleine [United States] and Kamps [Germany]), as well as its brands Bridor and Cité Gourmande (10 production sites), which manufacture premium quality products for more than 45,000 four- and five-star hotel restaurants.
Media Contact:
Rachel Tabacnic
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817-329-3257
SOURCE la Madeleine
