What Makes a Family Bakery in Montmartre be the #1 Choice?
Boulangeries are the signature treats of Paris. For a non-local, who only has a couple of days there, it is almost impossible to say which one is the really good one. The location, the look, and the smell are the few things that can drive us to one or another.
In my wandering around Montmartre I found a true local boulangerie. It is a family run business with several big ovens so everything is freshly made with love and care. And besides the supreme quality of bread and pastry, they got a lot of things right.
Positive interaction
Everyone, local or foreign, is greeted and sent off with a smile. While parents are making a purchase, their children can play with a toy stove and dishes, placed thoughtfully near the till. When a fresh batch of croissants arrives from the oven the lady in charge doesn’t even think of offering you the previous one — still fresh and delicious but cold. Beautiful touches to already a great product.
Cafe
There are a few cozy tables inside. In my experience, it is one of the calmest places to have a coffee and a croissant and hide away from cars and the noise. Even with a single tea and a pastry, you can spend hours inside and the lady in charge is still happy to have you around.
Offers and Delivery
If you are an early bird, from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning you can get your espresso for free with a purchase of any pastry. They also offer a breakfast bundle with two pastries, coffee, and bio juice for a lower price. Besides they do delivery to many of the nearby cafes.
Those are great traits and differentiators of Artisan Boulangerie by Thierry Racoillet.
As part of my practice in Business GreenHouse, I help passionate entrepreneurs like the one above to be prosperous longer. My task is to show them how to take full advantage of what they have already.
For example, having special offers to attract new and get more returning customers is an excellent idea. But have they actually measured the value created by higher sales of pastry in one hour vs. the value lost from giving away coffees for free during the pick morning time?
Another question could be around the assortment of products. Besides delicious bread and pastry, I’ve noticed pre-made meals. It is common among small businesses to try and cater to as many wishes as possible for the fear of being too narrow and losing customers. But how many people actually buy those pre-made meals every day vs. the time spent on making them?
One more challenge common for Paris is space usage. The boulangerie does large-volume delivery. There is no back door and the delivery boy has to squeeze between the (витрина) and customer’s chair every 10–15 min. Instead, the more direct walk from the kitchen to the front door is blocked by an ice cream freezer. But what if we measure how many times the customers feel disturbed by the deliveries vs. how many times ice cream is actually sold?
All of the above is easy to measure and possible to fix if necessary. That way the profits can sustain them fuller and the goodness of Boulangerie by Thierry Racoillet can be shared with happy customers longer.
Review done for Business GreenHouse: Be passionate about what you do. Use all the advantages you have to the full. Be successful.
