Couple who spent $250,000 to open their 'dream' New York café 10 years ago reveals their successful chain now brings in $50 MILLION a year

If you build it they will come - and French-inspired bakery Maman did just that.

Owners Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte launched their first Manhattan location in 2014 for $250,000, and it has now turned into a successful chain that has a whopping 34 locations, which brings in $50 million a year.

Elisa, who shares two children with husband Benjamin, always had a 'small little dream' to open a 'cute, quaint, cozy coffee shop and café.'

They relocated from Spain, where they had been running a beach club, to New York City in 2012, ready to make their dream come true.

The couple gathered their savings and after borrowing some cash from family and friends, they spent $250,000 in total to start their dream café. 

Maman owners Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte opened their first Manhattan location in 2014, which has turned into a bakery chain that has a whopping 34 locations

'It was one of the biggest financial risks we could ever take,' Elisa told CNBC.

'We really took quite a risk in pouring not only all of our money into it, but also all of our time and energy.'

Elisa and Benjamin decided to call their bakery Maman, which is French for mother - an ode to the two best cooks they know, their own moms, with the menu featuring foods they ate as kids.

French cuisine was a big inspiration, with Elisa growing up in the Toronto area, and Benjamin in southern France. 

'[Maman] evokes the feeling of warmth and home, which is really the vibe that we have been going for,' Elisa explained.

At first, the couple were working in the Maman's SoHo location 80 hours per week, with no days off - arriving at 6am to bake and leaving at 8pm after preparing for the next day.

Their hard work paid off; with CNBC reporting that Maman made about $47.2 million in sales in 2023, and hope to bring in $65 million by the end of 2024. 

The bakery was fortunate enough to be featured in an article in New York Magazine’s Grub Street just a month after opening, with the publication praising the new café for selling 'NYC's most impressive new chocolate-chip cookie.'

The feature brought in a steady stream of customers, and they raked in $2 million in revenue after their first year in business.

The bakery was featured in New York Magazine's Grub Street a month after opening, with the publication praising the café for selling 'NYC’s most impressive new chocolate-chip cookie'

Elisa and Benjamin decided to call their French inspired bakery Maman - which is French for mother, an ode to the two best cooks the know, their own moms

They also have event spaces in their cafes, and say events and catering make up 20 per cent of their revenue, as well as selling apparel and merchandise

After working together for the first three years, the couple made the decision to bring on investors - including a $1.5 million investment from Benjamin's brother - and hire additional staff.

By 2020, the couple had expanded to open multiple locations across North America and Canada, with CNBC reporting that they struck a deal with a private equity firm TriSpan for funding, worth between $10 and $20 million.

This helped them expand their chain, opening cafes in Florida, Washington, D.C., Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Knowing the importance of having an edge over their competition, Elisa and Benjamin, who CNBC reported still own a controlling 50 per cent of company, have event spaces in their cafes - and they said that events and catering make up 20 per cent of their revenue.

They have also ventured onto apparel and merchandise, including a Maman cookbook, shirts and hats.

'My vision for Maman is much more than just a brick-and-mortar, four-wall restaurant,' Elisa shared.

'I really see us turning into a multifaceted lifestyle brand.'