French bakery-café giant Marie Blachère is accelerating its expansion into Barcelona, with a second city location set to open this March in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. The new opening comes just seven months after the brand made its Spanish debut in the neighbouring El Raval district, signalling a major push into the city’s highly competitive food and drink sector.
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The new establishment will be located at Carrer de la Canuda, 21, and is slated to feature a counter nearly eight metres long. This rapid follow-up to its first store on Carrer del Carme underscores the company’s ambitious plans for the Catalan capital.
An Ambitious Spanish Strategy
Marie Blachère’s representative in Barcelona, Rémi Vernay, confirmed to Metrópoli that the new store’s inauguration is planned for March. It represents a key step in the French group’s wider objective: to open around twenty boulangeries across Barcelona within the next four years.
“The idea is, in the near future, to have a presence in all neighbourhoods,” Vernay stated.
The company has chosen Barcelona as its gateway into Spain, a market it aims to make its second most important after its native France. This move places it in direct competition with a well-established local market. According to recent data from the Gremi de Restauració de Barcelona, the city is already home to over 400 bakery-café style establishments, with local chains like Vivari, 365, and Santagloria leading the sector.
However, Marie Blachère arrives as a formidable competitor. With approximately 850 establishments in France, it is the country’s second-largest restaurant chain, surpassed only by McDonald’s. The brand also has a presence in Portugal, Belgium, the United States, and Canada.
Quality and Tradition at a ‘Reasonable Price’
According to Vernay, the brand’s value proposition is built on three pillars: daily in-store preparation, traditional recipes, and high-quality raw materials, some of which are imported directly from France. The menu offers a wide range of sweet and savoury items throughout the day, including artisan bread, pastries, cakes, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads.
“In a way, I’m opening this shop for myself; I want to enjoy an authentic, quality product at a reasonable price every day,” Vernay expressed. “I’m convinced this offering will connect with the local public.”
Notably, the company’s first location in Ciutat Vella operates under a full restaurant licence. This detail, confirmed by the Gremi de Restauració, distinguishes it from some competitors who use more limited tasting licenses, a practice that has drawn criticism for creating unfair competition.
Barcelona as a Global Retail Hub
The real estate consultancy Laborde Marcet advised on the brand’s first venture in the city. The choice of a high-traffic location was critical “to facilitate the brand’s positioning,” Vernay noted at the time of the initial opening last July.
Elisabet Panisello, a retail expert at the consultancy, sees this as a sign of the city’s robust commercial health. “More and more leading global companies are choosing Barcelona as their gateway for expansion in Spain,” she explained.
While international chains expand, some of Barcelona’s traditional, family-run bakeries have faced immense pressure from rising rents and changing consumer habits. The arrival of a major international player like Marie Blachère adds a new dynamic to a sector in flux.
Following its consolidation in Barcelona, the group plans to continue its development in other strategic Spanish cities, including Madrid, Valencia, and Málaga, primarily through a franchise model.
