French banking giant BPCE has purchased every bakery in the Catalan city of Sabadell — all 1,400 of them — and will distribute free croissants to residents for twelve months, describing the move as «a friendly gesture» following its investment in Banco de Sabadell.
The bank's «Goodwill Brigade», a newly formed unit of 600 employees in matching aprons, began baking at 3 a.m. on Monday. «We want the people of Sabadell to taste our sincerity», said brigade commander Thierry Delacroix, wiping flour from his lapel. «A hostile bidder would have bought only the baguettes.»
By Wednesday the operation had expanded: BPCE chartered three cargo ships to import Normandy butter, hired the entire graduating class of a Barcelona pastry school, and announced that any resident who accepts a croissant must sign a «friendship register» at the bakery door. Local bakers, now on BPCE payroll, report to a central «flakiness control» office that monitors crust quality hourly.
«We are not conquering anything», Delacroix insisted, as a convoy of refrigerated trucks blocked the main square. «We are simply proving that our investment comes with breakfast.» The bank plans to extend the programme to every Spanish city where it holds shares, starting with a paella initiative in Valencia.