Three months after opening its first establishment in the United States, in the New York suburban city of Great Neck, Marie Blachère is doing it again.
The second bakery opened on Thursday, April 11, in the West Village in New York where KUT kebabs used to be. The 185 square meter space is located a few steps from the West 4th Street subway stop. It will have about forty seats and a terrace that will be open “at the end of May,” says Christophe Besnard, head of international development at Marie Blachère. On Wednesday, several employees were working in front of the store to distribute warm croissants and pains au chocolat.
For this new bakery, the brand, which aims to offer quality products at affordable prices, remains faithful to the formula that works in Great Neck. Customers can find pastries, sweets (tartes aux fruits, clafoutis…), snack products, hot and cold drinks, and bread. “We’re really going to have the best-priced quality baguette in New York,” says the manager, who says it will cost $2.20 for one. The price could be even lower with the discounts for which the brand is known in France. “Today, a baguette in Manhattan is at least $3,” he continues. “We have advantages: the price and quality of the products, which are greatly appreciated by American customers.”
This New York opening does not mean that the brand is turning away from the development strategy that has made it successful in France, namely to establish itself on the outskirts of major cities. Marie Blachère intends to continue its development on Long Island, in line with the success of the Great Neck bakery, whose performance “exceeds our expectations.”
“We’ll see what opportunities arise. If we have great success in Manhattan, it will raise new possibilities. But we are in a market where rents are very high and the food market is extremely competitive. What is certain is that we will continue development in the outskirts of cities.”
