Franchising

Le Pain Quotidien adding 10 NYC units

November 2, 2020

Le Pain Quotidien is adding 10 units to New York City, according to a press release from its parent company, Aurify Brands, which also owns The Little Beet, Melt Shop, Fields Good Chicken and The Little Beet Table. The expansion is the result of Aurify's purchase of the French bakery chain, Maison Kayser, which filed for Chapter 11 in September. Aurify Brands served as the lead bidder after the brand shuttered operations primarily due to COVID-19.

"We are big believers in New York City and are thrilled to add these strong locations in this key market to our LPQ portfolio," John Rigos, co-CEO of Aurify Brands, said in the release. "This latest expansion of our platform reflects our long-term commitment to our home market, the hospitality industry, and the communities we serve, especially during these unprecedented times. It is gratifying to us that our loyal guests across the country are returning to LPQ, and we expect that the addition of these complementary locations across Manhattan will further engage our customer base as we continue to build this quality brand nationally."

In June, Aurify Brands added Le Pain Quotidien to its roster of brands. Since then, it has reopened or slated the reopening of 50 LPQ restaurants in select cities and suburban markets across New York, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Florida. The LPQ relaunch by Aurify Brands has created more than 600 jobs to date, with an additional 150 expected to be created when the former Maison Kayser locations are converted to LPQ restaurants and reopened in early 2021. When operations return to full capacity as COVID-19 restrictions are further lifted, Aurify Brands projects total job creation of 1,200 or more across the LPQ portfolio.

The acquisition of substantially all of Maison Kayser's assets by Aurify Brands was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on Oct. 29 and closed Monday.