January 2017 | Business View Magazine

56 57 throughout the build-out and per- mitting processes. “We provide the training, of course,” says Guillem. “They have to come to Sarasota for a few days and be trained on how the store is to be run. But there is no baking; there is nothing they need to do other than serving the cus- tomer. We have a marketing team that provides advertising, flyers, designs, and things needed for their stores.” Kathe Moore, Le Macaron’s Fran- chise Sales Manager, says that by the end of 2016, they hope to have 50 units up and running. “A very aggressive target would be to have another 50 locations within the next two to three years, or even sooner,” she states. “It’s important to find folks who are ideal candidates for us, but also, as a growing company, it’s important to support the fran- chisees and help them grow in their businesses, which benefits everyone else. It’s a strong community and we have a very strong culture.” Le Macaron French Pastries has certainly thrived since its earliest days in Sarasota. It was recently rec- ognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top new franchises for 2016, and honored by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing pri- Le Macaron French Pastries Preferred vendor n GTI Designs www.gtidesigns.com GTI Designs is a full service Design and Build firm specializing in all types of food service and retail projects. The company was founded in 1993 by Andrew Seabury, and has since expanded into the GTI Designs Group which currently encompasses 5 related businesses. GTI Designs offers an integrated project delivery system, whereby the responsibility for the design, purchasing, and installation of the project rests within a single company. vately-held companies in America. “We came in at 1,476 out of 5000,” says Moore, proudly. And there’s no telling how far Le Macaron might grow. Guillem says that she’d like to see every community embrace one of her shops. And, in terms of competition, Guillem adds that there isn’t another company like hers because the French recipe she uses for her distinctive macarons is extremely difficult to replicate. “All the macarons that I have seen in the U.S.A. are made with the Italian recipe,” she says. “And it’s not as ‘savory’ and excellent as ours. So that’s a big difference. We are very proud of the quality of our products and we continue to stay true to our core philosophy of providing people a little luxury and the chance to slow down long enough to appreciate the quality of a thing done right. Maybe we will be imitated, but for the moment, it’s okay.” When you came in our store to enjoy your coffee and a macaron, it’s like you’re having a one hour, mini-vacation and a little piece of France. People loved it. ROSALIE GUILLEM owner