La Madeleine, the country French cafe, announced today a multi-unit agreement that further advances the company’s strategic franchising initiative.

Coming as another indication of la Madeleine’s strength and desire to elevate its footprint in select U.S. markets, the agreement showcases the demand the brand commands from many of the restaurant industry’s most seasoned owner/operator groups. The Dallas-based restaurant company, which has a collection of more than 70 bakery cafes, has completed the deal with the Chalak Mitra Group, a team of proven restaurant operators who currently run hundreds of fast-casual restaurants in Texas in addition to multiple units of KFC, Taco Bell, and Long John Silver’s.

“This newly formed relationship with the Chalak Mitra Group is a significant step in la Madeleine’s franchise development strategy,” says David Gonzalez, vice president of franchise development for la Madeleine. “The Chalak Mitra Group has a strong reputation in the restaurant industry as rock solid operators. Their understanding of the fast casual segment serves la Madeleine well.”

Deepen Patel, a veteran of the Chalak Mitra Group, will be the operating partner behind the 12 new la Madeleine cafes planned for Central Texas and Oklahoma, as well as the existing five cafes in San Antonio and Tulsa. He previously owned a small chain of pizza shops in Dallas.

“La Madeleine is an obvious fit for Oklahoma and Central Texas. Cities such as Oklahoma City, Wichita Falls, Norman, and Amarillo are in for a delicious fast-casual surprise,” Patel says. “Plus, we’ll expand the concept in a few of our existing markets such as San Antonio. The brand is in prime position for growth, and we’re proud to be the group carrying on its tradition.”

Part of la Madeleine’s unique appeal is its consistent customer traffic throughout the day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Currently, the concept offers a tremendous ground-floor opportunity to become part of a brand adored for its food and ambiance in the restaurant industry’s top-performing fast-casual sector.

“Aligning with a group such as Chalak Mitra is tremendous validation for our franchising initiative,” Gonzalez says. “This agreement further solidifies the reputation of the la Madeleine brand within the restaurant industry.”