Mt. Juliet is about to get a taste of France. La Madeleine Bakery & Café is slated to open March 18 at 105 Legacy Pointe Boulevard Suite C‑1, franchisees Rick and Carissa Bearup told local reporters. The café will seat about 56 guests inside, with room for another 22 on the patio, and is planning daily hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The couple expects to hire roughly 50 people and says the bakery case and all‑day menu will bring a French‑style option to the fast‑growing Golden Bear Gateway retail stretch.
Opening specifics and owners
Rick and Carissa Bearup confirmed the March 18 opening date, the Legacy Pointe address, and the seating and staffing plans, according to The Tennessean. The Bearups, who also operate Bella Wigs & Boutique in Mt. Juliet, said they chose this block specifically because of its recent retail boom. "It's different and has that French‑inspired twist to it," Rick Bearup told the paper, framing the café as something a little out of the ordinary for the area.
What la Madeleine brings
La Madeleine is a French‑inspired bakery‑café concept with an all‑day menu that stretches from breakfast and brunch to soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, and a traditional bakery display filled with breads and pastries. The brand operates nearly 100 corporate and franchise cafés across the country and has been pursuing new franchise agreements, according to a company press release distributed via PR Newswire.
Why this location matters
The Mt. Juliet café will sit just off Golden Bear Gateway near a Costco that opened in June 2024 and several incoming restaurants, a cluster that city officials say has turned the corridor into prime territory for national concepts. That momentum, local leaders told The Tennessean, helped convince the Bearups to bring la Madeleine to town. The owners added that if this location performs well, they hope it will pave the way for additional la Madeleine cafés elsewhere in Middle Tennessee.
Hiring and next steps
Hiring is already underway, and the Bearups expect to have the team in place before the mid‑March opening. Once the doors are open, they plan to offer counter service, to‑go orders, and catering. With a bakery‑forward case and an all‑day menu, la Madeleine is positioning itself as both a quick morning stop for commuters and a laid‑back neighborhood lunch spot for Mt. Juliet residents.
