la Madeleine, a Dallas dining staple since 1983, likes to market itself as little piece of France you can call your own in the middle of a busy life.
How about just inside a Walmart Supercenter?
That’s where the French bakery and cafe is beginning to land around Dallas-Fort Worth after McDonald’s pulled out of some local Walmart stores.
So far, three la Madeleine Express cafes have opened in Walmart Supercenters — in Garland and Rowlett in July and in Cleburne this month.
Seven more will open by October, including one in Denton at Rayzor Ranch Marketplace, at 2850 W. University Drive. For now the in-store cafes are a test, and the decision to expand will be evaluated next year, La Madeleine CEO Lionel Ladouceur said.
The world’s largest retailer came calling just as la Madeleine was exploring new revenue streams, he said. “The pandemic pushed us five years ahead on our initiatives because we had to survive.”
la Madeleine Express cafes sell the brand’s signature chicken Caesar salad, tomato basil soup, and frozen chocolate and butter croissants to take home and bake. There’s also pizza, among some new items created specifically for the Express concept.