When the pandemic was its apex in 2020, the French bakery/café Maison Kayser shuttered all of its 16 places in New York Metropolis. One other French bakery/cafe Le Ache Quotidien closed 5 of its New York Metropolis outposts in 2020, earlier than it was acquired for $3 million by Aurify, a New York investor that owns a number of fast-casual manufacturers.
However these setbacks at French cafes haven’t deterred Marvelous by Fred, a world model with 45 places, from opening two outposts in New York Metropolis. Its French identify is Aux Merveilleux de Fred, however Individuals have a better time remembering Marvelous by Fred.
A Parisian type bakery is interesting to many New Yorkers and displaying development potential regardless of a number of French bakeries having confronted slowdowns.
Of its 45 places, 28 are in France with 15 in Paris, six in Belgium, three in London, two in Geneva, one in Toronto, with the 2 in New York Metropolis. It’s an increasing chain evidenced by its debuting seven new shops in 2020 and 6 in 2021.
Did Marvelous by Fred be taught something from the closing of Maison Kayser? Antoine Jacques, its president for Marvelous by Fred NYC, who co-owns the 2 New York shops with Marvelous by Fred founder Frederic Vaucamps, says Maison Kayser closed “on account of the troublesome time with Covid quite than lack of affinity. Le Ache Quotidian was an older model that they had been attempting to rejuvenate.”
Marvelous by Fred focuses on producing 4 core merchandise: meringue, croissants, brioche and waffles. Most French bakeries have expansive menus, however by specializing in these 4 it could actually put together virtually all the pieces in-house day by day.
Its namesake merveilleux combines meringue, whipped cream and chocolate. Jacques says the merveilleux are about 360 energy every and the mini-ones comprise from 85 to 100 energy every
Protecting the menu streamlined “ensures our focus and our capacity to execute the standard we’re in search of,” he says. “The second you do extra product, it is advisable to practice extra employees and there’s extra room for error. You promote much less and freshness isn’t the identical.”
It hasn’t even added a brand new taste in ten years, he underscores. Protecting issues easy helps with “coaching, stock, and high quality management.”
Therefore, the key of its success, explains Jacques, is “authenticity. We aren’t dishonest. Once you are available in and purchase one thing, it’s been made by the individuals who serve you and baked within the final two hours-max,” he notes.
In France, each one in all its places is franchised, however in different locations, they’re company-owed. In France, every location is operated by a neighborhood associate who has skilled for 10 months at Fred’s shops in France, explains Jacques. The native associate is then liable for recipes, processes, gear and manufacturing of pastries.
The associate has some latitude to develop menu add-ons and secondary gadgets that match Marvelous by Fred’s artisan identification, notes Jacques.
About half of its places or 26 are take-out solely, and the remainder have seating. For instance, its West Village location at decrease 8th Avenue is take-out solely, compact with 450 sq. ft and a basement, however typically so widespread {that a} line of seven or eight individuals will queue up exterior. It opened in 2015.
He additionally stated the West Village reminded him of a Parisian neighborhood so he wished to check the proof of idea there.
“We by no means closed the shop throughout the pandemic. We turned a staple within the neighborhood and that helped us kind a reference to our neighbors,” he notes.
Its latest New York Metropolis outpost in Midtown Manhattan close to Bryant Park at Sixth Avenue debuted in August 2021. It gives 10-person seating downstairs, the place friends may observe the open bakery idea. Its 50-person seating service upstairs is because of open finish of the yr.
The Midtown location additionally gives a bunch of expanded meals choices together with hummus and sundried tomatoes brioches sandwich, prosciutto brioche sandwiches and turkey and Swiss sandwiches.
Regardless of the Midtown location being a lot bigger, Jacques says it’s nonetheless “seize and go. You are available in and there’s a protracted counter for customer support.”
However in New York Metropolis, “individuals need the expertise greater than the product. In Paris, we wish the product, and so they’ll battle to attend 45 minutes to get the product from the best place,” Jacques says. Impatient New Yorkers don’t like lengthy strains and infrequently transfer on to a different bakery quite than ready.
However many Individuals are gravitating to more healthy meals, not high-calorie pastries. Jacques says that “Consuming a croissant or brioche isn’t ruining a weight loss program. Consuming processed meals” is what destroys diets.
However Marvelous by Fred has its eyes on American growth. Jacques expects to open one other 4 or 5 places in Manhattan over a number of years and has earmarked numerous neighborhoods resembling Higher East Aspect, Higher West Aspect, Flatiron, and Columbus Circle. After which he envisions gravitating to the 12 largest U.S. cities.
However the development will probably be gradual, “like possibly two extra shops or three in New York Metropolis within the subsequent yr. We’re not in a rush. We have to discover the best individuals for the best cities,” he says, indicating they’d franchise exterior of New York.
Furthermore, they haven’t decided if the brand new shops will probably be take-out solely or sit-down. “That will probably be decided by how our new seated area in New York Metropolis performs,” he says.
Jacques calls the three keys to its future success as: 1) Potential to maintain high quality constant, 2) Discover the best demographics in every of the cities since “We’re a specialised model.” 3) Getting out of Covid as shortly as attainable.
