DALLAS--Paul Carolan is the chief development officer with Dallas-based Le Duff America, a U.S. subsidiary of Groupe Le Duff, the world's second?-largest bakery café restaurant company. Le Duff America franchises and licenses la Madeleine French Café, Bruegger's Bagels and Brioche Dorée. 

GlobeSt.com recently spoke with Carolan about his 36-unit development initiative for Le Duff that focuses on buying commercial space within shopping centers to introduce new restaurant locations across the country. La Madeleine Country French Café recently unveiled its innovative new layout in large shopping center hubs in Houston.

GlobeSt.com: How did you get into the field?

Paul Carolan: I have dedicated my career to the restaurant industry. In the last 20 years, I have worked in various sectors of the industry from construction to accounting. During my time with Host Marriott, I learned a lot about what it took to operate and run a restaurant from day to day. I transitioned into a business development role when I joined Aramark in 2000. This is what prompted my involvement with the restaurant-franchising sector, specifically non-traditional venue restaurant development.

GlobeSt.com: Tell us a little about your development initiative for Le Duff America, wherein you're buying commercial space within shopping centers to introduce new restaurant locations across the country.

Carolan: Le Duff America consists of six different restaurant concepts. Right now, la Madeleine Country French Café is our biggest growth concept. We anticipate a 20 percent increase in café growth by the end of 2015. Our plan for new development begins with looking at where we are currently located and what communities nearby are ripe for expansion. Our new locations are all planned-for areas where there is brand awareness or another connection, French culture or partnerships. By the start of 2016, we expect to have at least 21 new la Madeleine cafés across the country from Dallas to Florida to Washington D.C.

For these new locations, we are zeroing in on available commercial space in higher-end shopping centers. Such areas provide the culture and community feel that is ideal for la Madeleine success. Our other concepts are experiencing growth as well. In Minnesota, Bruegger's is in a trial partnership with Caribou Coffee. This collaboration has shown great momentum so far. We are excited to see how this will work out. Another concept of ours, Brioche Dorée, which is primarily in Canada or on college campuses and airports in the United States, is expected to debut street stores by 2017.

GlobeSt.com: Why is La Madeleine rebranding its look in terms of its interior?

Carolan: We don't view it as rebranding. Instead, we approach it as maintaining relevance. If you look at one of our first locations and compare it to one that has the new design, you'll notice that the main elements are still the same--the wine room, fireplace, wood floors and beams, food displayed up-front and daily-fresh bakery.

We've been listening to our customers' feedback over the past few years, which is reflected readily in our new café design. Many of our guests didn't know that the bakery items are baked fresh on site. So we decided to open the bakery up and move it to the front to show the guests how their favorite treats are made. Another thing we learned from our guests is that they did not like the trays. Most of our guests are female and 25 or older. Having to carry the trays while carrying a purse, pushing a stroller or holding on to the kids was just too much. That's why we switched to having la Madeleine deliver the food to the table. It's an easy change that makes the dining experience more enjoyable. Our cafés still resemble the French countryside. The décor has been updated to resemble today's décor expectations. Visiting la Madeleine is not like taking a trip back in time. It's a visit to the countryside.

GlobeSt.com: Any plans to reintroduce Brueggers to DFW? There was a presence in Dallas-Fort Worth a number of years ago; what accounted for the locations to close?

Carolan: Yes, a Bruegger's will be opening in the Love Field airport this fall. Right now, we are looking into the possible relationship with Caribou Coffee in Minnesota. Depending on how this trial goes, Dallas could expect to see a Bruegger's presence again. The locations closed before my start with Le Duff America. I suspect that the locations closed due to leasing issues.

GlobeSt.com: What are some trends in the industry that you're noting?

Carolan: Real estate developers are looking to create a good sense of place with relevant brands that complement each other. For example, we look for available development opportunities in shopping centers that have Whole Foods. This is considered to be a premium balance. We think of la Madeleine as a polished fast-casual concept, so we look for polished shopping centers that are ripe for our growth.

Another trend we are seeing with consumers is the desire for authenticity. People want to feel like they are indulging in something special. Using la Madeleine as an example, we have responded to this trend by emphasizing that the food is cooked fresh daily. We have no fryers or microwaves. There has been a definite change from focusing on quantity to quality. Brands that put the extra importance on higher quality execution are seeing positive results.

GlobeSt.com: What's the biggest hurdle to introducing new concepts in new markets?

Carolan: Brand awareness. One key element we look for when deciding where to expand is a familiar relationship. With la Madeleine, which is our fastest-growing brand, we expand in areas that are close to our current presence. In a way, we build out from where we are already known. Most of our locations are in the south.

Now, there are la Madeleine locations in other regions as well. We have 10 in the Washington D.C. area. Years back, la Madeleine decided to expand to the East Coast due to the French influence in the area. This has proved to be another great connection for expansion. La Madeleine will be making its debut in Denver, as we recently signed a 15-unit deal with a San Antonio restaurant ownership group. This is a great example of how our Texas ties have helped us to spread to new markets.