Upscale Fort Worth market and café Marchè Bleu opened at The Shops at Clearfork in 2024 as a destination for gourmet foods, grab-and-go, household essentials, and more.
Inspired by similar concepts such as Foxtrot Cafe and Market (the Chicago-based chain with two locations in Dallas), Marché Bleu owners Taylor Huang, Jason Helm, Matt Thompson, and Brody Self decided to create their own locally-grown version, with one meaningful extra: an attentive response to customer demands.
According to Huang, that feedback from customers has shaped a few changes the store has implemented since it opened nine months ago. Case in point: The recipe they used for the avocado on their avocado toast.
"Customers felt that our avocado toast tasted too much like guacamole, so we took that advice and made changes," Huang says. "Our current recipe is still a mashed avocado but with chunky pieces that retain the avocado texture."
Following the change, they introduced a turkey avocado club and it has since become their best selling sandwich.
Located at 5256 Marathon Ave., next-door to Joy Macarons, the market sells grab-and-go foods, coffee, snacks, beer, and wine, right next to shelves bearing home essentials such as toothpaste, milk, and bread.
The space also contains a cafe, opening at 8 am for breakfast and lunch, which fulfills another part of their mission: a place to grab an affordable bite to eat.
"There wasn't any place you could grab anything of convenience without sitting down and spending a good chunk of money," Helm says. To that end, they repurposed a parking space right in front of the store into a sunny fenced-off patio with umbrellas and about a dozen tables.
Marché Bleu is open next to Joy Macarons.Photo courtesy of Marché Bleu
Wine and events
With its dedication to wine, Marché Bleu could almost double as a wine bar. They host events such as an upcoming Caymus Vineyards Tasting Event on April 24, as well as special sales for holidays such as Mother’s Day.
One major highlight is their champagne on tap: Une Femme, a California brut style sparkling wine, $13 for a glass (or $9.10 during their weekday happy hour from 3-6 pm). It's one of 18 wines sold by by the glass, from Cabernet by Caymus to Chardonnay by Stag's Leap.
"We also let people buy a bottle, and enjoy it here,” Huang says. “We'll open it.”
Their wine list features labels from around the world, including France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Australia and domestically from California, Washington, and Oregon, and they change their selection to keep things fresh.
As much as possible, Marché Bleu uses Dallas or Fort Worth-based companies for their cafe products. Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters in Dallas supplies the coffee while bread, bagels, and pastries are brought in from local vendors every morning. The market has several homegrown items like cheesecakes served in mason jars made by Fort Worth-based Sweetie’s Cheesecakes.
Providing a positive service experience is a priority. Customers are on a first-name basis with the baristas and can grab their order moments after walking through the door.
“Regulars are kind of the backbone,” Huang says. “They have a lot of loyalty. They come here and get everything they need, and so certainly want to keep up that kind of customer experience and customer service.”
