20,000 restaurants open each year in France. 1 out of 2 will close its doors in less than 3 years. (source: INSEE) More and more restaurateurs who have graduated from business schools are finding success.
To survive in this competitive environment, restaurateurs must fight. Their weapons? An original concept, a unique offering, an atypical location, unbeatable prices… The possibilities are numerous, but they must succeed in developing a coherent offer that differentiates itself – and then effectively market it.
Big Mamma, PNY, Dalia, Bao Family, Bien Ficelé, Daimant… There’s no need to introduce these establishments. Each has made a name for itself in recent years. Together, they embody the commercial success of the industry, its growing evolution, and the phenomenon of concept restaurants. Among them are specialists in Italian cuisine, burgers, Mediterranean plates, Chinese cuisine… very different structures, but with a common feature: they were launched by young entrepreneurs trained in business schools. Far from the traditional paths of the restaurant industry. With business schools diploma in hand, such as HEC, these young business leaders demonstrate the enthusiasm of entrepreneurs for the industry.
With them, the market is moving faster and faster. “Before, you had 30 years to create a brand like Bocuse. Today, you have 3 years,” said chef Thierry Marx. Restaurateurs have less and less room for error and must have thought through every aspect of their project precisely. Business plan, well-honed marketing and communication strategies, and precisely studied customer experience are elements that entrepreneurs have learned in business schools.
So, who are these inspiring entrepreneurs? What are the strengths and secrets of their successes? What did they learn at business schools ? The answers are in this article.
1. A detailed analysis of the sector, specific to the business schools curriculum
In the face of competition, a restaurant cannot succeed without precise sector analyses. Projects must be based on the logic of supply and demand. But to stand out, one must know which standard to contrast with. To do this, the training provided in business school gives indispensable keys. It allows one to understand the market in which one operates and to think about one’s project based on demands, even needs. The creators of these successful establishments have provided answers to specific sector problems. Let’s look at the examples of Big Mamma, PNY, Daimant, and Bao Family.
A. Refusal to take reservations, a weapon against delays and no-shows
Big Mamma. If the Big Mamma group shines for the quality of its food, warm welcome, and atypical locations, it has also made headlines for the endless queues in front of each establishment. To the point where they are an integral part of the customer experience. Today, despite the possibility of reserving a table since the health crisis, the queue persists in front of certain locations, such as Popolare. While some have criticized these endless waits, many have not hesitated to join the crowd for the group’s burratas, pizzas, pastas, and tiramisu. The success has been overwhelming. With 12 locations throughout France, 3 in London, and 2 in Madrid, the group is growing without slowing down.
While the recipe for their success is composed of many ingredients, the refusal to take reservations has boosted their growth and notoriety. Why? Because it has made it possible to manage no-shows and delays. Because it allowed to manage no-shows and delays. It is estimated that being 30 minutes late results in a loss of 1/5 of the value of the empty table, and no-shows represent a loss of nearly 30% of the turnover. From this observation, Victor and Tigrane pull all the threads of their business plan: countering no-shows allows them to reduce their menu prices by 30%!
B. Upgrade a product and turn it into a quality product, as they learnt in business schools
PNY. Once associated with low-quality street food, burgers have been appearing on the menus of brasseries and even Michelin-starred restaurants in recent years. Rudy Guénaire and Graffi Rathamohan, both HEC graduates, decided to ride this wave with PNY: offering a premium burger and differentiating themselves from fast-food competitors. They achieved this by relying on two major assets: table service and demanding sourcing. This allowed them to classify PNY as a restaurant and position their offering on the “premium” side. PNY also stands out for the unbeatable quality of their meat, sourced locally and recently awarded an Ecotable label. PNY becomes the first burger chain to be labeled.
The quality of the products selected by the group has also increased the price of the burger to around €13, compared to €8 at fast-food giants. But this has only maintained the partners’ model. “In France, we don’t have a problem with high prices, but with justifying prices. The consumer is willing to pay 5 to 10% more if they know the product is excellent,” explains the CEO of Gira Conseil to Les Echos. And it works! The group now has nine establishments in France.
C. Listening to consumption trends
Daimant Collective. For several years now, we have been observing a clear evolution in attitudes. Aware of the impact of their diet on the environment, 1 in 2 French people want to reduce their meat consumption. The vegetarian trend has also increased by +24% over the past five years. A CHD Expert study also shows that 46% of French people would like “classic” restaurants to offer vegan or vegetarian dishes. Alice and Christian, young entrepreneurs also graduated from the HEC business schools, start from this observation to combine environmental commitment and French consumption trends.
Passionate about gastronomy and a vegetarian for several years, Alice and her partner wanted to offer a place where vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and carnivores can come together and enjoy themselves. With the health crisis, the project took a different turn in the short term, and thus gave life to Plan D, the first baby of Daimant Collective. The idea: to offer 100% vegetarian street food that is just as delicious as meat-based options. Carefully sourced products, an offer that changes with availability and season.
D. Modernizing cultures to bring them up to date
Bao Family. Asian cuisine is experiencing a real boom in French consumption. In 2019, 2 out of 3 French people declared that they consume Asian cuisine at least once a month, and 1 out of 4 consume it every week! But it’s hard to find an intermediary between the very affordable Chinese caterer, cross-fusion restaurants of several gastronomies, and Asian palace restaurants. “I wanted to restore the reputation of Chinese cuisine because I found the existing offer limited.” Celine Chung, founder of the Bao Family group and business schools alumni.
And Celine hit the mark: the line forms every day in front of Petit Bao, the first delicious, trendy, and affordable Chinese restaurant in the capital. Based on the observation that this culture is gaining popularity in France without fully showcasing its richness, Céline decides to recreate the universe and menu of Chinese canteens in a stunning decor, featuring recipes that take customers on a culinary journey to all corners of the country. One might think they know Chinese cuisine, but not until they step foot into a Bao Family establishment. The group currently has three locations in Paris and has no intention of stopping there!
BMK Paris – Bamako. Fousseyni Djikine left his consulting job to pursue a project close to his heart: BMK. The goal of BMK – Paris Bamako is to revive the reputation of African cuisine, which is still underexplored or underestimated. To share the richness of this culture and travel through taste: this is the mission of BMK. The young entrepreneur Fousseyni has succeeded in his project. The two BMK restaurants have been in high demand since their opening.
2. Establishments that have bet on a well-crafted communication strategy
Young restaurant entrepreneurs don’t leave their communication to chance. They think and invest in their marketing strategy before even opening their doors. They know that creating a place in a competitive market partly relies on strong notoriety. To achieve this, they must create a brand image, transmit it on Instagram, and promote it through influencers and press relations. To ensure optimal visibility on social media and in the press, these new restaurants have a significant asset: the venue and decor of the restaurant! To become viral on relevant channels, they accompany enticing photos with striking statements that showcase the restaurant’s strong personality. The uniqueness of these restaurants is, in fact, their distinguishing feature. None of these places look like another. To prove it, these projects’ owners meticulously craft their storytelling, which then flows through all communication channels.
A. Instagrammable venues: these new restaurateurs, post-business school, have understood this well
Big Mamma. From the storefront to the dishes, all elements make customers want to photograph and post on social media. These establishments are worth more than one visit.
La Felicità, for example, covers over 4,500m² of space. Colorful carpets, glass roofs, climbing plants, tagged wagons, scattered furniture… Even the dishes of Big Mamma restaurants are Instagrammable in themselves.
As a result, Big Mamma places quickly became an Instagram phenomenon. Hashtags (#bigmamma, #popolare, #pinkmamma…) multiplied and since the first day, there has been a flood of Instagram posts in the colors of the brand.
Dalia. Even before knowing Dalia‘s menu, one wants to enter and settle in. Why? The several-meter-long and high glass bay window that fully opens in summer to open the room to the outside catches the eye. Then you enter and discover the restaurant’s universe. 300m2 in terracotta and pink tones, from floor to ceiling, with rattan furniture, copper details, and one of the longest bars in the capital.
A very photogenic decor that invites everyone to share their Dalia experience on social media. To express his desire to start the customer experience from outside the restaurant, founder Benjamin Cohen called on the MurMur Architectes studio. And to showcase their universe on social media, they invested in high-quality photos, signed by talented Patrick Sater @thetravelbuds. And it’s successful: since day one, the restaurant has been packed.
Cali Sisters. Capucine and Juliette, two sisters with degrees from top schools, decided to recreate California in the center of Paris. And it’s a success! Cali Sisters, their first location, immediately saw success. Photos invaded the media and social networks. And it’s not without reason. A palm tree stands in the middle of the restaurant, with each element of the decoration carefully chosen. The result: an Instagrammable restaurant. A true oasis of sunshine.
Of course, one could also mention the decor of PNY, Bao Family establishments, the facade of Plan D by Daimant… but we’ll let you discover them for yourself if you haven’t already.
Why is sharing your universe on social media so important? How do you go about it? What are the steps to follow and what not to do? We explain everything in this article.
B. A strong identity… and a carefully crafted storytelling
Pizzou. 819 million pizzas consumed in France every year! A highly competitive market. But Pizzou has a strong concept: a pizzeria that is 100% French! The founders, the duo Rémy Bougenaux and Vivien Mathieu, both from business schools (ESSEC and EDHEC), have therefore placed it at the heart of their communication strategy. Because the first promise made to customers is to rediscover a product they think they know by heart.
They differentiate themselves by the quality of their offer based on local sourcing of products. So, to present, tag, and mention the producers alongside them, the duo understood it well: Instagram embodies the ideal place.
PNY. PNY’s goal? To offer a premium burger, far from McDonald’s, Burger King… But to achieve this, the creators had to devote significant effort to convey the right message. A successful bet! Rudy and Graffi have won the trust of their clientele. How? By playing on transparency! They integrate the origin of their meat into the heart of their communication. Texts, photos, and videos support their claims, making them credible and accessible.
Cali Sisters. After spending a few years in California, the two sisters behind Cali Sisters wanted to convey their love for the country through their 2 restaurants. To achieve this, they not only relied on the decor but also on strong storytelling. They manage to convey these Californian vibes through their Instagram page.
Mama Nissa. A restaurant founded on family and cultural origins and traditions. Hanane, the founder, wants to best convey the values of Mama Nissa through her Instagram page. She refers to her country in every post and shares anecdotes about Algerian specialties.
C. A long-term collaboration with influencers and journalists.
Maison Pinsa. An establishment also born from the conversion of Jean Christophe and Mathieu, now 2 young entrepreneurs. They launched Maison Pinsa almost 1 year ago, having understood the stakes of social networks better than anyone else from the first day of opening. And even before that! Because anyone who followed Maison Pinsa before the opening could follow the work, decisions, challenges… thanks to the Instagram stories of their page from start to finish. Since the beginning, the Maison Pinsa Instagram page has been impeccable! But that’s not enough to make your restaurant known!
Jean Christophe and Mathieu already knew this very well. From the opening, they introduced the pinsas, specialties of the house, to many content creators. Since then, they continue to invite new influencers, while others come back, which greatly boosts the restaurant’s notoriety.
Bien Ficelé. The founders – graduates of ESSEC – nurtured a press relations strategy throughout the first year of Bien Ficelé, specializing in grilled meats. From the first few months, they worked to introduce their culinary proposal to relevant journalists and influencers. But a few months after the opening, the novelty was no longer felt: the media had all talked about this new player who offers excellent quality meat cuts. The fallout and visits from journalists were becoming less frequent.
Seeing their media coverage wane, Dimitri Aboulker, Thibault Eurin, and Arthur Lecomte – the three founders – found a solution: They brought their terrace to life, filled with plants and tastefully decorated. We then worked with them to promote this novelty to relevant media outlets. Bingo! The results continued to pour in, just like in the early days, which allowed the restaurant to continue to enjoy its reputation as a “trendy place” and attract an ever-growing clientele.
3. But to open a restaurant, beyond a business school diploma, you need hands-on experience.
There’s no doubt that business school education provides young entrepreneurs with valuable tools for the restaurant industry: financial analysis, rigor, knowledge of the sector, understanding of marketing and communication issues… But a restaurant is not a startup! They are aware of this, as it is rare for them to launch without having experienced the industry first. Many of them opt for training or first-hand experience in the dining room or kitchen. Others turn to a more specific concept: restaurant incubators.
A. Practical training to complement the business school curriculum: essential to the success of a restaurant
Ombeline Choupin, also a business school graduate (HEC) and founder of Rainettes, the first frog legs bar in the capital, says so. She would never have made some mistakes if she had immersed herself in the industry before launching. Ombeline had “a very scalable idea” that everyone believed in. But Rainettes failed to find its clientele and did not survive, like many restaurants, past its second year. “One of my main mistakes was the choice of my business location,” she explains. “It was right in the heart of the Marais, in a trendy, lively neighborhood. On paper, it was ideally located…
But the location was not suitable: we didn’t have a terrace while all of our competitors around us did; a significant portion of our seating was located in a cellar where customers never wanted to be placed. “It’s a mistake I would never have made if I had been in the industry for a little while,” she said. And that’s not the only difficulty the young woman faced.
B. Training within successful restaurants
Daimant Collective. The founders of Daimant Collective took the time to train in the kitchen – for Alice – and in the dining room – for Christian. And they didn’t choose establishments randomly. Alice decided to hone her skills in a semi-gourmet restaurant, while Christian spent several weeks in different Big Mamma establishments.
Pizzou. Same scenario: after touring the best French producers and comparing different product qualities, Vivien, one of the founders, underwent training as a pizza chef. This allowed him to understand, before launching, the operational difficulties, but also to imagine a unique pizza dough at Pizzou.
Big Mamma. At Big Mamma, it’s Tigrane Seydoux, one of the two founders, who immerses himself in the restaurant industry before launching his own business. After HEC, he worked as the right-hand man of businessman Stéphane Courbit in his LOV Hôtel Collection group (Les Airelles in Courchevel, La Bastide de Gordes). He had time to see the challenges and difficulties specific to the industry.
Mama Nissa. Hanane, after studying at HEC and working in the insurance sector, decided to make a career change. But before pursuing her dream, Hanane took the time to prepare herself properly, without rushing. She then underwent training at Ferrandi.
C. Restaurant incubators to supplement business training from schools
Opening a restaurant after graduating from business schools like HEC has become “trendy,” but the training remains focused on business rather than the restaurant industry. To meet this need, incubators such as La Frégate, Service Compris, and Emergence Concepts have emerged. They provide the practical knowledge of the restaurant industry that may be lacking in business school education and help aspiring restaurateurs launch their businesses.
And it works! After going through La Frégate, Jean-Christophe and Mathieu launched Maison Pinsa, a unique pinsa concept with exemplary communication that always has a full house! Service Compris has supported successful projects such as Petit Bao (Bao Family), Plan D (Daimant Collective), Panda Panda, and Superbao.
These are well-thought-out and worked success stories after business school education
Business school education enables young graduates to have a fresh and precise perspective on the restaurant industry. Without formal training in the industry, these young entrepreneurs are able to provide concrete and coherent solutions to an industry they are not originally from. Big Mamma, Dalia, PNY, Pizzou, Bien Ficelé, and Daimant are making waves in the media and staying on people’s minds. Everywhere, people are praising the new approaches they bring and replicating them. Their communication and marketing skills are also admirable because a strong concept alone is not enough. Social media, influencer relationships, press relationships, storytelling… Nothing is left to chance.
However, these educational programs do not provide all the solutions and do not (yet?) allow one to overcome all the obstacles that opening a restaurant entails. The working conditions specific to the sector, its peculiarities and other difficulties… all of these details can only be acquired through experience and time. Therefore, many of them train in the restaurant industry before embarking on their adventure and complement their theoretical training with practical training, which is essential. Others turn to brand new players who have emerged to fill these gaps: restaurant incubators.
