Hofmann makes the international leap and will open patisseries in the Middle East

Hofmann continues to celebrate its 40th anniversary. After opening its second boutique pastry shop in Barcelona, in the upper area, the group has announced the start of the international expansion of its famous croissants. Hand in hand with the Saudi group Kraiv, the Barcelona brand will reach the Middle East through franchises. The first is planned for Dubai in 2024.

After a year of negotiations, the Barcelona brand has reached a 10-year agreement with Kraiv, which owns and franchises several restaurants. "We are very excited to bring the quality and creativity of pastry to the international sphere with a partner who shares our values," explains Silvia Hofmann, daughter of Mey Hofmann, who started the family business focused on culinary training and has been expanding its area of influence, with the opening of the first pastry shop in 2008 in El Born, on Flassaders street.

For his part, the founder and CEO of Kraiv, Amro Bagedo, announced that work is underway to "create a unique version of the original concept, special for Dubai." The pastry chefs who work in the Middle East stores will be managed by the Saudi group and will train for a few months in Barcelona.

The president of Hofmann does not rule out reaching similar agreements to expand the Barcelona brand to other areas "given the great interest it arouses in the sector." A few months ago, it was announced that they also plan to stop in Madrid, where they expect to arrive in 2024. In this case, as detailed by the company, the expansion in the capital of Madrid will involve establishing a production center like the one they have in El Born, in addition to starting with two boutique pastry shops.

With the beginning of this new phase of pastry shop expansion, Hofmann maintains the other areas of the gastronomy sector where it operates. On the one hand, the restaurant on Granada del Penedès street, with a Michelin star, where teachers and students from the cooking and pastry school founded by Mey Hofmann in 1983 work. With the pandemic, the group decided to close the other restaurants it had, not focused on training. In 2022, the company managed to recover pre-pandemic revenue.

Likewise, the training center already has more than 20,000 students in its 40 years. Each year, a thousand students are trained. Half of them focus on professional programs, designed for profiles starting in the sector or wanting to specialize, while the other half try short courses, aimed at a more amateur audience. In addition, the group also develops consultancies for culinary businesses and has a catering service. In total, the group's workforce is close to one hundred employees.