{{Short description|French restaurant conglomerate}}200px|right|Groupe Le Duff's logo '''Groupe Le Duff''' is a French restaurant conglomerate, with holdings in Europe and the Americas, consisting of over 1,310 restaurants and bakeries. It includes Bridor, La Madeleine, Kamps, Mimi's Cafe, Pizza Del Arte, and Brioche Dorée.
The company was founded in 1976, by Louis Le Duff, with the opening of the first Brioche Dorée in Brest, France.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/9810-caribou-coffee-to-acquire-bruegger-s-bagels?v=preview|title=Caribou Coffee to acquire Bruegger's Bagels|website=www.foodbusinessnews.net|language=en|access-date=2019-12-12}}</ref> As of 2014, the company had 28,000 employees and sales of € 1.5 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.groupeleduff.com/chiffres-cles|title = Chiffres clés}}</ref>
Its headquarters are in Rennes, France.
== History == Louis Le Duff opened his first establishment with the Brioche Dorée sign in 1976 with the equivalent of €1,500<ref>. {{Cite web|language=fr|title=Louis Le Duff : "La franchise évite de se lancer en kamikaze"|periodical=L'Express|date=22 May 2006|url=http://lentreprise.lexpress.fr/creation-entreprise/franchise/louis-le-duff-34-la-franchise-evite-de-se-lancer-en-kamikaze-34_1524428.html}}.</ref> of personal contribution. He created the first “French-style” fast food establishment.<ref>{{Cite web|language=fr|title=Le groupe le Duff s'adapte aux nouveaux usages alimentaires|periodical=L'Express|date=30 June 2011|url=http://www.lexpress.fr/emploi/gestion-carriere/le-groupe-le-duff-s-adapte-aux-nouveaux-usages-alimentaires_1357319.html}}.</ref>
In 1983, Louis Le Duff diversified the group's activities with the creation of the "Pizzeria Lucio"<ref>{{Cite web|language=fr|title=5 nouvelles ouvertures en France et à l'étranger pour la franchise de restauration italienne|periodical=AC Franchise|date=30 June 2012|url=http://ac-franchise.com/article/5-nouvelles-ouvertures-en-france-et-a-letranger-pour-la-franchise-de-restauration-italienne}}.</ref> chain which merged with the Pizza Del Arte brand, renamed Del Arte after its takeover from the Accor Group in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|language=fr|title=Le Duff, le croissant et la croissance|periodical=Les Échos|date=4 July 2013|url=https://www.lesechos.fr/04/07/2013/LesEchos/21471-059-ECH_le-duff--le-croissant-et-la-croissance.htm}}.</ref>
In 1984, the first Bridor factory opened in Montreal. Four years later the first hexagonal unit moved to Servon-sur-Vilaine in Ille-et-Vilaine.<ref>{{Cite web|language=fr|title=Bridor a beaucoup de pains sur la planche|periodical=Ouest-France|date=10 December 2010|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/bridor-beaucoup-de-pains-sur-la-planche-615154}}.</ref>
In 1989, the Le Duff Group acquired the Fournil de Pierre brand.<ref>{{Cite web|language=fr|title=3 questions à Bruno Merand, directeur développement Fournil de Pierre|periodical=Observatoire de la Franchise|date=18 March 2013|url=http://www.observatoiredelafranchise.fr/interviews-le-fournil-de-pierre/3-questions-a-bruno-merand-directeur-developpement-fournil-de-pierre-2274-1624.htm}}.</ref> In July 2022, Le Duff acquired Lecoq Cuisine Corp., a Connecticut-based manufacturer of Viennese and French-style pastries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=France's Groupe Le Duff acquires US croissant maker {{!}} Food Business News |url=https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/21808-frances-groupe-le-duff-acquires-us-croissant-maker |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=www.foodbusinessnews.net |language=en}}</ref>
== Le Duff America == Le Duff America operates the conglomerate's US restaurant chains. These consist primarily of La Madeleine Country French Café, Brioche Dorée, and Mimi's Cafe. Le Duff America is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It was formed following the acquisition of Bruegger's by Groupe Le Duff in 2011, at the time naming Bruegger's CEO James J. Greco and CEO of Groupe Le Duff's prior American operations, Claude Bergeron, as co-CEOs of Le Duff America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nrn.com/archive/le-duff-america-names-new-leadership-team|title=Le Duff America names new leadership team|author=|date=8 October 2011|website=nrn.com|accessdate=13 August 2018}}</ref> Le Duff sold Bruegger's in 2017 to Caribou Coffee.<ref name=":0" />
In 2018, MTY Food Group announced the acquisition of Timothy's World Coffee along with Mmmuffins from Le Duff America.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/mty-completes-the-acquisition-of-timothys-world-coffee-and-mmmuffins-678843423.html |title=MTY completes the acquisition of Timothy's World Coffee and Mmmuffins |website=CNW Group |date=April 5, 2018 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20121121013118/http://www.groupeleduff.com/en Groupe Le Duff website (English-language version)]
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Category:Catering and food service companies of France Category:Companies based in Brittany Category:French companies established in 1976 Category:Restaurant chains in France Category:Rennes
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