The city of Tucson is about to get an infusion of French culture, thanks to new Le Macaron Franchise Owners Stacy and Gary Haggart! The couple’s new location is slated to hold its grand opening soon, much to the delight of local residents who are fans of authentic macarons and other scrumptious French pastries, coffee, gelato and more.
As former public-school science teachers, as well as parents of five children, as well as avid outdoor enthusiasts, the Haggarts are no strangers to new adventures like owning a macaron franchise. They are excited to be part of the Le Macaron franchise family and bring a taste of France to their Tucson hometown.
Despite the whirlwind of activity that often accompanies a grand opening of a macaron franchise, Stacy was able to make time to talk to us about the couple’s Le Macaron franchise experience, along with their hopes and dreams for their soon-to-open French pastry franchise location. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: Owning a French patisserie is a rather big departure from your previous backgrounds in education, not to mention your husband’s current engineering role. How did your Le Macaron franchise journey begin?
A: We discovered Le Macaron on the internet! Gary and I had been dreaming about opportunities to work together when our 13-year-old daughter took up macaron baking as a hobby. Friends and family went crazy over these bites of heaven and I began to think that there was an opportunity there.
In my late night searching about macarons on the internet I found Le Macaron French Pastries and just knew it was something special. Then began the hardest sales pitch of my life…to convince my engineer husband with no restaurant or retail experience that we should buy a franchise and sell delicious treats!
Q: Aside from being surrounded by scrumptious macarons and other French pastries, was there something that sparked your interest in entrepreneurship?
We want to be entrepreneurs because we are tired of trading hours for dollars like a prison sentence. We want to have more control over our life. Gary’s job is stressful with long hours that he has little flexibility with. He is not able to communicate with our family during work hours and so often it feels like he is missing out. I even had an emergency with one of our kids and could only leave him a message and hope he would see it before the end of the day!
We are dreaming of a different life where we can work together as a family and enjoy the fruit of our labor without being a slave to someone else’s schedule. We know that we will work hard in this business, but we are so excited to do it together!
Q: What did you like about the Le Macaron franchise opportunity?
A: The first thing that attracted us to Le Macaron was the gorgeous, colorful macarons! We also love that it is a company that highly values family! It is a lovely story of how [co-Founders] Rosalie [Guillem] and Audrey [Guillem-Saba] started the idea for the business and then got other family members involved. As we learned more about the products, the high-quality ingredients, and that we would only have minimal baking responsibilities, we felt more and more convinced that this was a great fit for us.
Q: When you were looking into the Le Macaron opportunity, what made you feel that it was the right franchise fit for you?
Le Macaron is the right fit for us because it will give us freedom to choose the life we want to live. We are excited to be able to work together at our business and although we know it will take a lot of work, we look forward to doing it together. Currently, Gary’s job does not allow him to be in contact with our family, even by text, while he is at work. This environment keeps our family isolated from each other during most of the workweek and none of us like it. We love the product, that we can offer something that brings smiles! We also look forward to celebrating life’s little moments with our customers and providing a space where they can feel transported and escape the challenges of life for a short while.
Q: How much did Le Macaron’s emphasis on quality, authentic French pastries influence your choice to franchise with them?
The Le Macaron franchise’s emphasis on excellence and premium ingredients is very important to us. We cannot be passionate about a product we don’t believe in. We are excited about being Franchise Owners because we know we are delivering the best to our customers. Le Macaron French Pastries is in a league of its own compared to other franchises in this sector because of the quality and draw of the product, and the elegance of the brand. Excellence combined with hospitality will always be in demand.
Q: Tell us a little bit about going to Le Macaron’s Sarasota, Florida headquarters for Discovery Day. How was that experience?
What was not to like about Discovery Day? We had a fantastic experience that solidified our hunch that we could do this! From getting to taste the amazing products, which exceeded our expectations, to visiting a store and kiosk location, as well as the confectionery where all the macarons and other French pastries are made, that was like visiting Willy Wonka’s factory. We loved every moment!
Q: What did you like about meeting Le Macaron’s Founders?
Gary and I first met Rosalie on a Zoom call, which was a chance for us to get to know each other and see if we might be a good fit for Le Macaron. She was so warm and friendly that our nervousness disappeared right away. When we came to Sarasota for Discovery Day, we enjoyed all that we saw, but more than that, we were certain that we could work well with each person we met. We love that Rosalie and her husband, Bernard, are genuine and passionate about making Le Macaron French Pastries a business that delights customers and franchisees alike.
Q: Was there a particular “A-Ha!” or lightbulb moment that made you certain that Le Macaron was the right franchise for you?
For us, the a-ha! moment was at the end of our Discovery Day. We came with so many questions and some fear…wondering if this franchise could really live up to what we had read on-line and meet our high expectations. We asked questions and came ready to probe for reasons why this wouldn’t work for us. We were thoroughly impressed with each portion of the day and we loved everything we saw! At the end of the day we both felt certain that this was the franchise that we wanted to be a part of.
Q: What has been your best experience with Le Macaron’s corporate team so far?
We have been so happy with our whole experience and with each member of the team we have worked with, but our best experience has to be the process we went through before joining the franchise. The time invested in answering our questions and being accessible was invaluable. We were amazed with the personal attention we received and thankful that we were allowed all the time we needed through each phase without ever feeling rushed. Rosalie told us several times how important it was that this decision was right for us and she really showed that through her actions.
Q: What do you think will make your Le Macaron location successful once it opens, and what do you think will make you and Gary successful as Franchise Owners?
We believe that we will be successful as Le Macaron owners because we are hard workers, we love people and want to serve our customers. We are humble enough to admit when we don’t know something and need help from someone with more experience. We are passionate about our product.
Q: I imagine you’re getting pretty excited with your grand opening right around the corner. What are you looking forward to most about owning your own Le Macaron?
We are most looking forward to the day when Gary and I can run our store together and not have to be apart so much. We are also excited to have the possibility to work with our children in the business one day.
Q: Last but not least, now that you’ve been through the franchise discovery process for Le Macaron, what advice would you give to a prospective Franchise Owner who is just taking the first steps?
Our best advice is to do your homework! Go into this opportunity with your eyes wide open. We learned so much by interviewing current Le Macaron franchisees, going to Discovery Day, checking out other franchises, reading the FDD, and asking lots of questions. Take your time and be sure this is right for your family.
We wish Stacy, Gary and the entire Haggart family nothing but sweet success in their new endeavor as Le Macaron Franchise Owners! If you’re in the Tucson, Arizona area, plan to stop by their café for Opening Day.
Interested in leaving the corporate grind behind for a job that allows you more time to connect with your family? We are currently accepting qualifying applicants to our Franchise Discovery Process. Learn more about the Le Macaron French Pastries franchise at our website.
