The story of Ladurée started in 1862 when Louis Ernest Ladurée opened a bakery in the heart of Paris at 16, rue Royale. In 1872, following a fire, the little bakery became a pastry shop and the decoration was then done by Jules Cheret, a famous painter and poster-designer of the time. Jeanne Souchard, Ernest Ladurée's wife, then had the idea of combining the Parisian café with a pastry-shop. She therefore created one of Paris' first tea-rooms. In 1993 Ladurée was bought by Francis and David Holder and became one of the best-known gourmet addresses in Paris, a veritable institution with its famous "macaron" as its emblem. In 1997, Ladurée opened a tea-room/restaurant on the prestigious Champs-Elysées, followed by another in the Printemps department store and on the Left Bank as well as the beginning of their international adventure with branches in London, Geneva, Monaco and Tokyo.
