Marie Blachère, a bakery chain with more than 750 locations in France, started construction on its first South Florida location just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. What followed was an arduous pre-opening process that has led, at last, to a grand opening in Midtown on July 20.
“We’ve been so lucky. We’ve been welcomed by Midtown in an amazing way,” Serena Natali, who heads up the brand’s Florida stores (it also has two in New York), told What Now on Thursday.
A funny side effect of the long wait was that more and more people became aware of Marie Blachère’s plan to open in Midtown, and this increased curiosity—along with brand’s world-famous baguettes and other baked goods, offered at startlingly low prices—has led to a very successful opening.
“People could see the construction and the sign that was up for three years,” Natali said. “And from the day of opening until today so many great people have come and congratulated us, and we’ve seen so many returning customers already.”
In addition to its great products and low prices, Marie Blachère works hard to avoid end-of-day waste, slashing its prices by 50% in the evenings to clear the day’s baked goods. As a result, Natali says, the cafe has seen lines forming outside at 7:30 when the markdown begins.
With one South Florida location launched successfully, Marie Blachère has already set its sights on a second, this time in North Miami. Natali confirmed the news of the second location, although she says its launch is still a year, if not a little more, away.
So in the meantime, be sure to follow @marieblachereus on Instagram and check out the brand’s Midtown location at 3421 NE First Ave.
