Pascal, Florence and Arnaud, La P’tite Boulangerie, business and gluttony. Portrait

See live the craftsman, his gestures, his know-how, put a face on the one who cooks for you … This is what carries Pascal and his P’tite Boulangerie. He had the idea of initiating the bread oven, in wood-burning, for Michel Richard’s restaurants. A success without a doubt, which earned him the headlines of the Los Angeles Times. The small bakehouse quickly becomes large. Pascal RIGO is developing rapidly with major hotels. And also great restaurants in Los Angeles, such as The French Laundry, by the renowned Thomas KELLER.

In 2022, success does not seem to be waning, quite the contrary. La P’tite Boulangerie has made its place and continues to offer products made before the eyes of customers… For their greatest pleasure.

Bakery - Who cooks for you
Pascal, Florence and Arnaud de La P’tite Boulangerie

A growing interest in artisanal creations

Knowing what they are consuming is essential for a customer. The quality of the products he buys, as well as the artisanal and local dimension, impact his purchase decision. Also, when it comes to bakery, he is looking for flavors, fresh. A bet to which the P’tite Boulangerie was able to respond quickly. Driven by its original and unprecedented concept, where the customer and the baker meet in a small space, it shows the production.

This close relationship seduces customers, and this has an impact on demand. Today with three bakeries in Bordeaux, Caudéran, Notre-Dame and Fondaudège, the ambitions of the three founders are not running out of steam. The concept works, changes the relationship between the customer and the baker. So many reasons that can only help the franchise network to grow even more.

The American dream mixed with the atmospheres of “open supply”

Thus, after meeting his wife, he decides to leave for San Francisco. He bought an old bakery, Giusto, to develop his own Show Bakers brand. A delicious country bread, baked on stone. Which finds its place, for the first time in America, on the shelves of a small supermarket chain “Trader’Jo”.

On Pine Street, he opens a bakery as close as possible to his professional customers with several baking during the day. However, customers are rushing, which pushes him to develop, in particular, pastries in the shape of palm trees. A “local” spirit at the heart of gluttony.

In 1997, it’s madness! In the midst of the boom of the democratization of the French bakery, adapted to the American taste, Pascal RIGO remembers with emotion… The large scales of firefighters and truck towers that accompany each new bakery opening, as they love the delicacies of Pascal’s bakeries. He then joined Starbucks, which acquired its network of bakeries. Within Starbucks, he is commissioned to take over all the food part adjoining the famous cafes. Eliminate artificial flavors, preservatives, evolve the logistics platform to bring French taste to the heart of Starbucks… In three years, the turnover related to food, of quality, doubles.

What we want is for people to eat well, the credo of La P’tite Boulangerie

Having since regained his freedom, Pascal RIGO still manages to this day nearly a dozen shops, as well as the industrialized part dedicated to mass distribution, with no less than three hundred employees. With the years, grayed out and carried by his success, Pascal aspires to return to the lands of his childhood. With such experience in the world of baking, it is surprising that there are still concepts to reinvent. And yet…

The good idea on the Gironde soil is the result of these long years of experience, customer contact and love of the craft and its craftsmen. A project that begins with a story between friends.

From Cap-Ferret to the banks of the Garonne

On the lands of Cape Ferret, where he stays regularly, and against the background of the “crisis” of the traditional bakery, Pascal aspires to “put the right products at the right price”. Reunited with his childhood friend, Christophe TRIAS, after 30 years, with whom he played football at the SSC – the regional football club of Saint-Symphorien, they have the idea to develop the bakery within Christophe’s grocery store in Cap-Ferret. A crazy bet in a small space, but endowed with a soul.

How to keep manufacturing, cooking and selling, in optimal hygienic conditions, in a space of less than 30 m2? By streamlining space, valuing consumption, good food, good shopping. This is enough to initiate a fundamental reflection on the policy of the sector, the cost of buying commercial funds, milling… By reviving the values of artisan bakery.

The magic wand of the Boulanger-Volant, Arnaud CHEVALIER

A vision shared by Arnaud CHEVALIER, who joined the La P’tite Boulangerie adventure in its early days. He brings a pragmatic and effective vision of the baker’s profession today. Trained as an artisan baker, he was able to see on the Paris Basin the difficulties for artisan bakers to settle. Four years ago, however, he took the plunge, in partnership with a miller.

As his bakery developed, Arnaud became aware of the time spent on management and the sacrifices accepted to “run the shop”. With regard to the cost of charges, work, and without neglecting the quality of the products. Difficulties that are difficult to attract and retain young recruits, yet talented.

The one who is best able to sell bread is the one who gets up to do it in the morning.

Restoring the baker’s reputation

His meeting with Pascal RIGO in the summer of 2016 reinforces his desire to “put the baker back on the front of the stage”. Just as much to develop its authentic values, around the transmission of the love of bread. The P’tite Boulangerie is a no-brainer. The model makes it possible to get out of the vicious circle of buying low-quality ranges in order to lower the loads. Ultimately, by refocusing on his core business, the baker once again values his achievements.

Joining the adventure in 2017, Arnaud is in charge of the opening of the cap Ferret laboratory and pastry shop. It also develops the recipes. He takes care of the selection of bakers who join the Group, guaranteeing them tailor-made field support. To seduce the “Boulanger-Volant”, you must first of all have in oneself the passion of the trade.

Arnaud’s ambition, after the successful launches of Cap-Ferret, Bacalan and Notre-Dame, in Bordeaux, is to unite a veritable community of artisan bakers, ready to help each other and develop their crafts.

Rationalization, support for SMEs and a return to real values, Florence MERO’s “leg”

It is also in this perspective of “federation” that Florence MERO projects herself within the P’tite Boulangerie. Originally from Rhône-Alpes, from a business school, she has always kept at heart family values, entrepreneurship, involvement in local life, and football!

Within a rich career path, focused on new technologies and the software industry, she took over the general management of “Heaven” within the Sage group for many years. An experience that allows him to get involved on a daily basis at the heart of the real expectations of SMEs and the self-employed.

In 2011, as part of a family life project, she left France for the United States. While her husband created a successful start-up in San Francisco, she honed her skills and her taste for challenge with the launch of a company dedicated to contemporary art. , and it organizes events for the exchange of artists between France and the United States, in order to allow them to be discovered on the international scene.

Success at the heart of craftsmanship

Thus, she developed a Strategy Consulting Firm putting performance at the service of craftsmanship. A way to link his first loves with his keen sense of management and entrepreneurial success. For several years now, it has been keen to relocate the bakery, crafts in the broadest sense, in the heart of rural areas. With her vision and her love of good products, there is no doubt that she is the ideal interlocutor to grow a network and sustain a business.

The Adventure La P’tite Boulangerie allows him to “get his hands dirty ” by bringing a certain added value, to perpetuate the “good idea” by valuing this mixed model, a little atypical, and for all that, so imbued with common sense.

Here nothing is done elsewhere

An efficient, streamlined and efficient model for crafts and its customers.

La P’tite Boulangerie, an explosive concept of common sense in the heart of Bordeaux

The concept is simple: the parent company takes care of the acquisition or lease of the business fund, the work necessary for the implementation – from 150,000 to 200,000 euros. The artisan baker is gradually associated with the capital, in order to have a autonomy of management while focusing on his core business.

The artisan baker works on a small and controlled space, with arranged schedules. Administrative management is taken care of, as is communication or accounting. A mixed model in which artisan bakers find themselves, remaining independent and gradually acquiring “their bakery”, while not being overwhelmed by the management of daily life, in addition to the management of their know-how, and contact with customers, an imperative to be updated, according to its founders.

Development based on common sense

The strength of the P’tite Bakery is to build an adventure based on common sense, with a financing and priming model allowing to establish itself in a very concentrated market, and swept away many large bakery chains. Real economic innovation, at the heart of the mess.

After building the base on Bordeaux in a few months, three new openings are underway in the Bordeaux region, as well as in Mont de Marsan, before developing the Paris market in the first quarter of 2018. The Bordeaux craze is indeed “extraordinary” for the three founders. “If it’s not done in Bordeaux, it’s not going to happen anywhere.” An economy boosted by the public actors of Bordeaux Metropole, the CCI of Bordeaux or the Chamber of Trades and Crafts, in particular, which energize local entrepreneurship without leaving anyone behind.

Now that we have both feet on the spot, we are not about to abandon the Bordeaux lands!

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