Debbie Hilton-Creek Brings Macaron Business Opportunities to Boston!

Le Macaron is bringing its delicious dessert franchise concept to Boston, Massachusetts for the first time, and it's all thanks to Debbie Hilton-Creek ! Debbie, who discovered the Le Macaron franchise when exploring business opportunities to add to her already impressive entrepreneurial portfolio, recently sat down to discuss her experiences with Le Macaron's Franchise Education Process, attending Discovery Day in Sarasota, and signing her agreement for three new Boston-area locations.

Hilton-Creek, who holds an MBA, comes to Le Macaron with an extensive background in human resources, and is the owner of an HR consulting firm. For close to 20 years, Debbie has enjoyed an incredibly rewarding career that nurtures her love of people. "I thoroughly enjoy working with people- they teach me a lot and I hope they learn from me as well," she says. "I always tell people that it's natural for me- and it really truly is. My dad was a minister, and basically all our lives we've been looking after other people."

Debbie's natural warmth and affection for people will play a critical role in her success as a proprietor of three Boston-area Le Macaron locations. However, her initial discovery of Le Macaron happened rather by accident, when a franchise consultant with The Entrepreneur's Source chanced upon Hilton-Creek's resume online and inquired about her interest in investing in a franchise. "I had actually been thinking about starting another business and had looked at other franchise models on my own," Debbie recalls.

"[The franchise consultant] asked me if I was interested in looking, and I said, 'Sure, why not?

After being shown a number of available franchise business opportunities, Le Macaron stood out against the rest for Debbie- in large part due to her long-time love and appreciation of French culture. She explains, "I think the most prominent thing was the connection to France. That was the thing that appealed to me because I had been in Europe for a number of years.

I spent some time in France, and I really loved the culture, and so I thought, 'How interesting would that be, to bring a little bit of France to the United States in my little corner of the world?'" The opportunity to own multiple locations of our French pastry franchise seemed like an exciting way to earn revenue while doing something she truly loved, and Debbie could genuinely see how our unique business model could do quite well in Boston. "I felt like the concept behind Le Macaron was something that could be very successful in the U.

S.," she says.

Not long after embarking on her journey toward French pastry franchise ownership, Debbie was invited to take part in Le Macaron's Discovery Day at their Sarasota headquarters, an experience that she enjoyed from start to finish. She says, "I liked everything about the experience! We spent a whole day at Discovery Day, and quite frankly, I think it went by too fast."

Debbie's Discovery Day experience solidified what she had already decided- that owning a French pastry franchise like Le Macaron was just the right fit for her! In addition to our exquisite macarons and French pastries, Debbie enjoyed the family-business feeling that was present as she got to know the corporate team. "I loved everything," she recalls.

"I loved the product, I loved (Founder) Rosalie (Guillem) and (her husband) Bernard. They're very warm, welcoming people- it really was kind of like a family feel. Besides the product, I think the people were exceptional, and I really, really enjoyed it."

As the owner of a human resources consulting firm, Hilton-Creek already understands what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, and plans to bring that same drive and energy to her Le Macaron business. "I think a lot of it has to do with what I'm willing to put into it to be successful," she says, adding, "Whenever I put my mind to doing something that I really want to do, I know I'll be successful because I'm going to put everything I have behind it to make it successful."

One of the key factors in Hilton-Creek's decision to become a Franchise Owner with Le Macaron is the flexible ownership options that will allow her to continue with her HR consulting business- something she says is critical in the future success of her Le Macaron empire, as it gives her the stability she needs while she is getting her new business off the ground. "Whatever I do with my consulting business, that is income that will give me some kind of insurance as I ramp up my business and get it to work," she explains. "I'm a planner by nature so I want to do whatever I can to be successful."

Hilton-Creek is currently scouting Boston-area locations for her first Le Macaron café, slated to open later this year. Le Macaron is currently awarding franchise business opportunities to candidates across the United States.