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The French Workshop, with three locations already in Nassau County, has inked its first franchise deal and is expanding east.
And the newly minted franchisee is Upstream Hospitality Group, which already operates nine Tap Room locations across Long Island, as well as 10 Bango fast-casual spots, and several popular seasonal operations along the South Shore beaches.
Upstream Hospitality Group plans to open a French Workshop location in Suffolk County, which would be a first for the bakery and café.
For the uninitiated, The French Workshop, which was founded in 2015 in Bayside, Queens, is known for its wide selection of pastries, cakes, pies, croissants and sandwiches, as well as coffee and espresso drinks,
James Bonanno, co-founder of Upstream, said he wasn’t looking for a growth opportunity when he first reached out to The French Workshop last year.
He was just really enjoying the overall experience, regulary. He’d visit the Garden City location often while he and the Upstream team were working to open a Tap Room nearby, also in Garden City.
“I figured we would be neighbors and I wanted to reach out, so I went on their website,” Bonanno said.
That’s when he noticed a Franchise tab in the corner. He clicked it.
“They asked me if I was interested in a franchise,” he said. “I was probably the first person to reach out, and I really wasn’t looking for something, but as I learned more about the brand and what they were doing and planning, I was just excited to get involved with them.”
Bonanno said he’ll be able to announce the Suffolk location of The French Workshop very soon, so be sure to check back with GLI.
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“The decision to franchise was the result of several years of planning, involving extensive and proactive preparation,” said Graham Buckley, The French Workshop’s vice president of franchising. “We prioritized establishing the necessary infrastructure and resources, both operational and technological, to support this major initiative and our franchise partners.”
The company also has plans for expansion elsewhere in the U.S., off Long Island.
“We’ve witnessed the firsthand embrace and loyalty from our existing guests in the communities we’re fortunate to be a part of, and we look forward to replicating that success with our franchise partners in new markets across the country,” Buckley said.
Bonanno added that while at the Garden City location, he was “blown away” by the brand and customer base.
“I was in there all the time, and just really enjoying it,” he said. “Every time I walked in it was was packed, and the customers were engaged and eating and drinking and it just seemed like everyone was always enjoying themselves.”
And the more he sampled the food, he said, the more he liked it.
“And the coffee’s great,” Bonanno added, “that’s what brought me in, in the first place.”
— all photos by Mike White of Greater Long Island at The French Workshop location in Wantagh.
