The French Baker expands out of Chicago

Nation's Restaurant News, August 26, 1985 by Carolyn Walkup

The French Baker expands out of Chicago

With the help of Donald N. Smith as vice chairman, The French Baker has opened a unit in Roanoke, Va., its first outside the Chicago area, and is planning to expand to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado, company officials said.

The five-unit French Baker chain, owned by Cookie Factory of America, is a cafe concept offering sandwiches, salads, soups, quiches and bakery goods. Average per-person checks are $3.50.

Smith, who owns one-third of the company's stock, has been involved in The French Baker for several months. But Cookie Factory kept his involvement quiet until it was ready to unveil a new unit design in Roanoke.

Since his ouster as president and chief executive of struggling Diversifoods last January, Smith has been acquiring stock and assuming board positions at several chains, including D'Lites of America, an Atlanta-based fast feeder, and Xian, a Chinese fast-food operation based near Chicago. He is not involved in the functions of those chains.

He also heads an investor group that is trying to purchase 80% of the Perkins family restaurant chain from Holiday Corp., formerly Holiday Inns. That deal has been delayed because of the investor group's failure so far to secure financing.

Before his involvement at Diversifoods, which Pillsbury has since acquired, Smith had established a reputation as an industry heavyweight as president and chief executive of Burger King.

The French Baker's recent opening of a unit in Roanoke marks its first expansion outside the Chicago-area shopping mall and office building market.

After an initial expansion push in the Midwest, the French Baker expects to open stores in California, in the South and on the East Coast, according to Russ Paulsen, chairman of the board.

Innovations of the new French Baker cafes include exclusive use of tables for two, smoother traffic flow and a separate "impulse' counter for bakery and some new products. They include La Pizzande, a hot, open-faced sandwich of mushrooms, artichoke hearts and/or spinach and melted cheese; vol au Vent, a French puff pastry shell topped with shrimp, scallops, chicken or beef; muffins; and brownies.

The cafes will continue to serve salads, soups, croissant sandwiches, quiches, desserts and beverages with an attempt to appeal to women shoppers and office workers. The average check is $3.50.

Photo: The French Baker operation at a Chicago-area mall.