Marie Blachère: a change at the helm of franchise development

Jean-Marc Conrad is leaving Groupe Blachère after six years leading international and franchise development. Reported by Snacking.fr on 2 November 2026, his departure comes as Marie Blachère has broadened its operating models, adding franchisees and lease-management operators alongside its company-owned outlets. The group expects to have 232 partners across these two categories by the end of the year.

Six years of franchise development

Having joined in 2020, Jean-Marc Conrad supported a period of network expansion alongside Bernard Blachère. At the start of that period, the brand had two franchisees. It now has 230 franchisees and lease-management operators, according to figures he confirmed to Snacking.fr.

The projected total for the end of 2026 is 232. This forecast should be distinguished from the current position: it is the figure expected at year-end, not a total already reached when his departure was announced.

Above all, these figures illustrate the growing role of partner operators within a brand historically built around company-owned outlets. They are not, however, a count of franchisees alone, as lease-management operators are included in the same total. This distinction matters when assessing how the network is changing without conflating its different operating models.

A network combining three operating models

Groupe Blachère now uses three operating models: company-owned outlets, franchising and lease-management arrangements, known in France as location-gérance, under which an operator leases and runs an existing business. Growth in the latter two models does not mean the group is abandoning company-owned outlets, which remain part of the brand’s structure.

Over the same period, the Marie Blachère bakery network has grown from 550 to 920 outlets. This increase covers the entire network and cannot be attributed wholly to franchising. The figures provided do not break down these 920 bakeries into company-owned, franchised and lease-managed outlets.

For the franchise sector, the notable development is therefore the coexistence of several routes to expansion within a single brand. The record of the past six years combines a rise in bakery numbers with a much greater presence of franchisees and lease-management operators. These are complementary indicators, but they measure different things.

Cafés de Marie add to the network

In addition to the 920 bakeries, there are 30 franchised Café de Marie outlets. Of these, 20 are located on motorways. Including these cafés brings the total network to 950 outlets.

This format sheds further light on the role of franchising within the group: all 30 cafés mentioned are franchised, whereas the bakery network combines several operating models. Motorway locations account for two-thirds of the Cafés de Marie reported.

For 2027, the stated development pipeline comprises more than 150 potential contracts. The word ‘potential’ is essential: this figure represents neither signed contracts nor an equivalent number of planned openings. It indicates the group’s stated growth prospects, but does not establish how many outlets will actually open next year.

A transition in development leadership

According to Snacking.fr, Renaud Di Michele, until now deputy head of international development, is expected to take temporary charge of development. He is expected to serve on an interim basis following Jean-Marc Conrad’s departure. This handover is presented as anticipated, rather than as a confirmed permanent appointment.

The brand continues under founder Bernard Blachère, his son Jean Blachère and managing director Maxime Besso. The announced change therefore concerns the leadership of international and franchise development within a network that retains all three operating models.

Key takeaway for prospective operators: before exploring a Marie Blachère opportunity, clarify the outlet format and operating model on offer. The group’s headline figures bring together different types of businesses and arrangements; the potential contracts announced for 2027 do not, on their own, establish which opportunities will actually be available.