{"id":101318,"date":"2025-02-13T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/?p=101318"},"modified":"2025-02-12T23:35:30","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T12:35:30","slug":"michels-patisserie-close-stores-struggles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/michels-patisserie-close-stores-struggles\/","title":{"rendered":"Michel\u2019s Patisserie to Close All Stores Across Australia After Financial Struggles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After more than two decades in Australia\u2019s bakery and caf\u00e9 scene<\/strong>, Michel\u2019s Patisserie<\/strong> is set to close its doors nationwide. The announcement follows long-running financial difficulties<\/strong> and a strategic reassessment<\/strong> by its parent company, Retail Food Group (RFG)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Transition for Franchise Owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Retail Food Group confirmed the decision on Tuesday, revealing that Michel\u2019s Patisserie <\/strong>locations will either close or be rebranded under other RFG-owned chains<\/strong>, such as Gloria Jean\u2019s<\/strong> or Donut King<\/strong>. The company currently operates 19 Michel\u2019s Patisserie franchises across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A spokesperson for RFG stated that discussions with franchise partners were already underway to explore new business opportunities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These conversations form part of our organisation\u2019s evolution to be closer to our customers, focusing on elevating customer experience to drive growth, and increasing Franchise Partner profitability,”<\/em> the spokesperson told Sky News<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Once-Popular Bakery Facing Growing Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Michel\u2019s Patisserie<\/a> was founded in 1990<\/strong> by Noel Carroll and Noel Roberts<\/strong>, and quickly gained traction in Australia’s caf\u00e9 culture. By 1994<\/strong>, the chain had expanded to 35 outlets in Sydney<\/strong>, with 10 more planned<\/strong> for the near future. The brand became a staple in Australia\u2019s retail food market<\/strong>, known for its cakes, pastries, and coffee<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in 2015<\/strong>, the company switched from offering freshly baked goods to supplying frozen cakes<\/strong>, a move that significantly impacted product quality and customer loyalty<\/strong>. This decline in standards led to a drop in sales<\/strong> and ongoing financial struggles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022<\/strong>, the Australian Competition <\/strong>and Consumer Commission (ACCC<\/a>)<\/strong> took legal action against RFG<\/strong>, alleging that the company had sold Michel\u2019s Patisserie <\/strong>franchises while knowing they were operating at a loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support for Affected Franchisees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Retail Food Group has stated that it will support Michel\u2019s Patisserie franchisees<\/strong> during the transition, offering financial assistance<\/strong> and alternative business models under its other caf\u00e9 brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We believe that each of the Gloria Jean\u2019s and Donut King brands provide exciting opportunities and a compelling option for Michel\u2019s Patisserie Franchise Partners considering their immediate or longer-term business futures,”<\/em> the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Michel\u2019s Patisserie had a strong presence in Australia\u2019s retail food market<\/strong>, RFG cited barriers to future brand growth<\/strong> as a key reason for the decision. The company has reassessed its strategy, focusing on investing in brands with stronger market potential<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, all 19 Michel\u2019s Patisserie franchises operated by RFG across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria are set to close<\/strong>. Franchisees will have the opportunity to convert their businesses<\/strong> to other RFG brands such as Gloria Jean\u2019s or Donut King<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the closure of Michel\u2019s Patisserie<\/strong>, another well-known Australian bakery chain<\/strong> disappears from the country\u2019s food court landscape<\/strong>, marking the end of an era<\/strong> for customers who once frequented its stores for coffee and cake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michel\u2019s Patisserie is closing all its stores across Australia after more than two decades, as parent company Retail Food Group (RFG) shifts its strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":101319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101320,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101318\/revisions\/101320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}