Top 5 Reasons to Invest in a Grégoire Franchise in 2024

Grégoire, the French-inspired restaurant franchise based out of Berkeley, California, is looking forward to a year of strategic growth, innovative advancements and community engagement. With a recently-launched franchise opportunity, the brand is ready to bring its lucrative and proven model to more communities across the country. Here are the top five reasons to consider buying a Grégoire franchise in 2024:

Revolutionizing Fine Dining with Health, Sustainability and Community

Today’s consumers don’t want to choose between quality and convenience — they are eager for higher-quality options that don’t require full, sit-down service. Grégoire fills that void with a unique rotating menu, which changes quarterly to reflect the seasonal availability of locally sourced ingredients and housemade recipes, available on-the-go. 

“Growing up in France around farms, I wanted to stick to my roots,” Founder Grégoire Jacquet said. “That is why we always use real products, nothing processed. I wanted ingredients that were from the ground, not from the factory. Most products are simply much better when they are in season and when they are picked at the right time and brought to a restaurant that is nearby. When you can do that, all the flavors are perfect.”

In terms of sustainability, Grégoire’s commitment to sourcing local and fresh ingredients and liaising with organic farmers has also helped distinguish it from competitors. When it comes to eco-friendly eating, 78% of consumers feel that sustainability is important and 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly brands. 

Beyond the food, Grégoire's service ethos extends to creating a warm, neighborhood feel where customers are known by name. This level of personal engagement adds a layer of community connection that is essential to the success of the business, Jacquet says.

A Business Model 21 Years in the Making

Now that the Grégoire brand is franchising, Jacquet said the team has made sure the concept stands out for franchisees as well as consumers.

“Grégoire's franchising model is built on simplification and standardization,” he said. “Franchising is all about training — if I could find a way to replicate our business model and our offerings, I knew I could make growth a lot easier. That is why we decided to keep control of the food and the creativity of the food. Franchisees don’t need to worry about being master chefs or hiring master chefs.”

Another secret ingredient of the franchising recipe, Jacquet says, is the brand’s unique culinary hub-to-store kitchen model. Franchise location staff simply build the dishes the Grégoire culinary hub has prepared, utilizing a simple software system to guide essential functions such as production, availability, delivery, invoicing and more. 

“I originally envisioned the culinary hub-to-store kitchen model as a way to ensure we could offer the fresh, housemade ingredients that make Grégoire stand out, everytime,” said Jacquet. “In order to do that, you need to leverage preparation and distribution centers to source the product. A central hub makes it much easier to ensure consistency across a nationwide brand. Our culinary hub is never further than two hours away from each location we open. No other franchises offer that — I didn’t want to sacrifice the original brand vision when I started to grow through franchising.”

This hub-to-store kitchen model ensures that franchisees can focus on customer engagement while the culinary hub handles the logistics of food preparation. It also allows them to keep their costs more manageable. 

“When you run a restaurant, the margins are so small,” said Jacquet. “The only way you can make money is by controlling your costs. But what can you really control? The product and the labor. That's about it. We’ve reduced the footprint of the restaurant and streamlined the operations so that our franchisees can achieve a lot more with a lot less.”

For example, franchisees only need to hire a small staff. When Jacquet started the business, he took on many roles at the restaurant. He only had one cook and a cashier, and he was doing everything else. A few quality hires should be sufficient to run the kitchen, where the food only needs to be put together and packaged up. 

A Robust Catering Program

Another key differentiator for the Grégoire franchise is the brand’s catering program.

“We handle all the food preparations as a franchisor,” said Jacquet. “As a franchisee, you just have to tell us how many sandwiches you need or how many salads, and it will be delivered the next day. Our culinary hub is never further than two hours away from each location we open. It really makes catering a breeze — you don’t have to worry about how much chicken you need to serve 200 people. We will take care of that for you.”

And for consumers, Grégoire's catering program stands out due to its flexibility, consistency and top-notch quality. 

“The customer can call you the day before a party and you can have the catering ready the next day — it is super flexible,” said Jacquet. “We use the same ingredients for catering as we do for our standard menu. We can easily handle last minute requests. We never say 'no' to the customer, and in return, see a great appreciation for the quality of our service and flexibility to work with their needs.”

All of these factors explain why catering service accounts for nearly a fourth of all franchisee revenue across the Grégoire system — a rare feat for any restaurant concept.  

In-Depth Franchisee Support Every Step of the Way

As Grégoire expands its network, the team offers comprehensive support and in-depth training and support in operations, marketing, technology and more to ensure franchisees are well-equipped to succeed in their business ventures. Everything from ordering to invoicing has been automated into the franchise’s system.

“When I started Grégoire, I came across a lot of pain points on the back end of running a business. So, I built a system that takes care of everything for the franchisees after they plug in a few items,” said Jacquet. “We are always fine-tuning it and improving the flow of operations so owners can focus on their team, the customers and the food.”

Overall, Jacquet says everything has been designed for quality control and to make things easy for owners. “The level of support we offer is unmatched — more than any other brand,” he said. “You have to train your franchisee so that they feel comfortable running the business the way we want them to run it. Then, support them and always be there when they have a question and be able to help them every step of the way. My employees now know that if they need anything, they can reach out.”

An Exciting Future Ahead

With its newly launched franchise opportunity, franchisees have the chance to invest in Grégoire on the ground floor and partner with a brand that is poised to disrupt one of the biggest segments in foodservice. Better yet, since the franchise is just getting started, incoming owners will have their pick of prime real estate in the Bay Area and beyond.

“I have built a business model that both customers and business owners can rely on, and I want to share it with others. Franchising is the best way to do that, I believe,” Jacquet said. “As the brand is in its initial stages, the first owners will have the unique chance to be a part of something that is destined to grow and to watch that success from the very beginning.”

The ideal Grégoire franchisee is characterized by a unique blend of passion, skill and values. Key attributes include a strong affinity for the Grégoire brand and a deep love for food, embodying the brand’s ethos and mission. Successful franchisees should be customer-focused, creating a hospitable and inclusive environment for all guests.

For more information on franchising with Grégoire, https://1851franchise.com/gregoire/info.