La Madeleine has announced the appointment of industry veteran Wallace “Wally” Doolin as the company’s new CEO. 

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Doolin, formerly president and CEO of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide and TGI Friday’s, is expected to take La Madeleine, which first opened its doors in 1983 in Dallas, Texas, to the next stage of growth and position within the restaurant industry.


“Doolin’s ability to maximise existing assets and product concepts made him our first choice for this critical stage in la Madeleine’s growth,” said Jean Roch Vachon, la Madeleine’s chairman.  “We are confident that la Madeleine will soon become a more dominant player in the bakery/café segment.”


Groupe Le Duff, along with a group of North American investors, acquired la Madeleine in December of 2001. Paris-based Groupe Le Duff is recognized as one of the leading French bakery and café restaurant companies in France with over US$500m in sales, 7,500 employees and more than 500 restaurants and bakeries.

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