Mon, Dec 26, 2022 . 6:49 AM
46:26
Owner: Jeremy Julian
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
gregoire, restaurant, people, business, berkeley, culinary, takeout, ritz carlton, food, customer, experience, years, potato, bit, franchise, run, product, cooking, open, understand
SPEAKERS
Grégoire (66%), Jeremy (34%), Intro (1%)
I
Intro
0:02
This is the restaurant technology guys podcast, helping you run your restaurant better.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
0:13
Welcome back to the restaurant technology guys podcast. As always, thank you for joining us. As I say, often you guys have a ton of different options out on the web, it feels like there’s a new one every day, as far as podcast to go listen to so we really appreciate you guys taking a few minutes to talk with us today is, is it’s always one of my favorite subjects when I’m talking to a restaurant owner operator, who also understands tech, so much fun for me. And so today we are joined by the founder of the culinary hub, and I’m gonna hack up his name because it’s French. And I told him I was gonna hack Greg wall, and I know I hacked it. But Greg wall, can you introduce yourself to our audience out there and tell us tell us a little bit about one how to say your name properly and to kind of kind of who you are and where what your history is a little bit before we jump into culinary hub and what you guys are doing. Yes, hello there. Oh, thank you for popping in the show. And thank you for having me. On, you’re great. Plus get very honored to be there. So my name is Greg guar. Jack, hey, that’s the name of the business to Scott Gregoire. And it’s somewhat of French, I had takeout.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
1:22
i My My background is
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
1:26
culinary background. Of course, I I started cooking at 14 years old in France. And I went to class and training for three years. And then I started working. I moved to the US, I was 19 and started working for a French master chef called Jackie robear. In San Francisco. It took me under his wings and and train me in really. And show me around the ropes of fine dining in America, which is, you know, it was very different back then. We’re talking about 89. And I worked for him for Yes, five years, I believe and and after that, I decided that I needed more of the management techniques in France. It’s the way we treat people and the way we act with people is a very different thing than then. Then here. So I figured I needed I really needed some, some help with that. And I asked Jackie to find me a job at the Ritz Carlton. I waited six months, and an opening came and became the banquet chef at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco. Now, that was an experience coming from fine dining, going to like high volume, fine dining was really something else that I’ve never experienced before. I learned so much during those extra large party and I and I hope more people would do that just because it helped me in the long run to really understand and run my business. I did a lot of managing lots of number. I moved around a lot in the company. I opened hotels, Bali, Jamaica, I work at the Ritz Carlton Boston, I worked at the Ritz Carlton, Puerto Rico. I really moved around and learned a lot of styles, cuisines. And also, relationships with people around the world, people that really defend one another. Yes. So that was really important for me. And that helped me also, you know, open and run my business. In 2001 we decided to have a baby. Me and my wife. And we came back to our city in Berkeley, California where we opened our business Gregoire. So that was in 2002. When they opened it,
JJ
Jeremy Julian
4:25
wow. You go bigger, you go home, have a baby and open up a business. Part of what I love about some, as I said in the intro I love about restaurant tours is is the amount of experience and the stories. I can’t help but ask because I’m I am a huge I personally am a huge Ritz Carlton fan one have you read the book, the horse Schultz book excellence wins and if you have, I guess what? And if you haven’t, it’s really just a story of him as the CEO and kind of kind of how he took he took you know the Ritz card Ellison and continued to continue to both learn and grow that brand throughout the years. But I guess first question is have you read that book? And? And if so, what was it on the inside similar to what he would he would write in the book,
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
5:14
you know, actually, I have not read the book. But I can tell you that I lived the Ritz Carlton philosophy for seven years, I worked with him, we went together and openings him in the executive team. So I really, really breathe, and and really, everything, everything, everything in the book is just true. Even if I didn’t read it, the guy is so genuinely, the best restaurants are utterly die, that that’s, you know, that’s, that’s around.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
5:46
I love it. I love it, I got a ton out of that book. And for those restaurant tours that haven’t been out into, into the space, and I had the opportunity to experience the the Ritz Carlton experience whether whether it’s only one night that you stay forever, in your life, it is a different experience that you can’t, you just can’t comprehend until you’ve done it. The first time I ever stayed at a Ritz Carlton, I was like this is on a different level that I had never experienced before. And so I love that I love that you had that experience, because I’m certain, you know, for the last 20 ish years that you’ve been running your own business, so many of those things impacted you that you learned. So talk to me a little bit about kind of kind of what it is that you guys opened up in 2001 or 2002. As far as your business because it’s different. It’s different from what I’ve researched, it’s different from what you and I’ve talked about, it’s different from the Ritz Carlton, it’s different from, you know, fine dining and France, certainly. And there’s a ton of similarities, I would say that just until you experience it till you do the research until you’re there, I guess change change your perception of what is possible.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
6:54
So it was 2001, when when I decided to stop working with the Ritz because we wanted to create a family. And it was, it was time to think time to think of what I wanted to do really, and how I wanted to do it in my life with my wife. And I mean, we had a home in Berkeley, California, where my wife is from, and I we needed to do something close by being at work for for another company was not the right thing for us. So the only thing was to create a business now, oh my god, I needed to create a business that would fit our lifestyle. Yes. And the baby was going to be born, you know, six, six or eight month. You know, before the restaurant opened, we didn’t know we wanted a restaurant, but I knew that I didn’t want to be in restaurant because I have I have come to see that. Being big is not the best. You have to deal with a lot of people we have to deal with a lot of hurdle in the business. And mainly, I wanted to use my talent to to really be in the business or make the business because I had a lot of talents. I mean, I was great. The numbers. I was great with people, I had tremendous. I mean, I hired and fired people at the rates, I was trained to do that. And I I love to talk to people I’m a great customer service oriented person, I love what I do and I love to share what I do and so I want to I want to I want to didn’t want to stifle my my needs to really be involved in the business in every side. And so that’s where this idea of making a takeout but just a kitchen. Okay, I wanted to create a kitchen where people would come in and order the food and then wait and talk to me. I would talk to them they would ask me questions What’s best what’s fresh? What’s this? What was that so that that was the first really business model that we came about. And of course, I I love food and I love fresh ingredients. I grew up in farms and friends so for me I was getting the milk in the morning to the farm, you know from my breakfast and I was getting fruits and vegetables from the garden and we used to just let’s be honest, slaughter the pea twice a year to Freezy or make ham or smoked the meat or you know so I know what good food is and I know where it comes from. I wanted to use this in my restaurant using ingredients from close by and using farmers Um, so that was the number two. Number Number three, it needed to fit my lifestyle. So I didn’t want to work forever, all the time. I first I closed two days a week, which was, you know, really nice, but I, I, how can I say that I wanted to serve the customer, but get the IP in my work. Of course, at first. I mean, I worked really hard to build a name and build the business. But after a while, you know, those hours and it was, I mean, that would come at nine o’clock in the morning, and then would leave, you know, at seven o’clock at night, and just, you know, I would see the family would be there around. And, and that would suit me very well. I wanted a restaurant that opens all day. Okay, so from lunchtime to dinner time, so people can quit come and eat anytime, because my biggest frustration is Berkeley is that it was no place to eat good food all day long. So they open at 11, then call the two and then open back at five, and then close at nine. And for me doesn’t suit my lifestyle. So all around, this is why I created Gregoire, just to have a place where I can be happy and my customer can be happy. The takeout part was really, that I didn’t want to be dining room. And if I don’t want a dining room, then I needed to
JJ
Jeremy Julian
11:40
pick up a different method.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
11:42
But at that time, takeout was not that big. I mean, it was pizza, Chinese
JJ
Jeremy Julian
11:52
burgers, or whatever I was gonna ask. So that’s, you know, it’s such an interesting paradigm and and part of what I gave you as far as the intro, and I apologize for cutting off. But it’s like, it’s such a different experience, because I have always held the theory. And I think that it’s it’s incredible. And we’ll talk a little bit more about how the pandemic has impacted and, and been good for the business and bad for the business. I’m sure there’s lots of stories there. But I’ve always considered fine dining to be an experience and good quality food to be an experience. And I think you guys have been doing this for 20 years now, like 20 years ago, there was no quality food, you guys were early in that paradigm. Nowadays, you can get more high quality food from different brands in a quick service or a takeout fashion. Where it is fresh it is farm to table it is the ability to get high quality product at the time. 20 years ago that didn’t exist. It sounds like it sounds like you know, you guys were one of those innovators. Talk to me a little bit about I mean, I understand why you’re there. I understand based on your Ritz Carlton history based on growing up on the farm in France, I get that. But talking about the challenges of even getting that product in because, one, there’s the challenge of supply chain two, there’s the challenge of customers, like they might like it, but that product oftentimes costs more than than the ground beef that you’re getting at McDonald’s for a cheeseburger. Talk to me a little bit about what those challenges look like, especially with a brand new baby.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
13:21
Well, that was that was that was a vision. It really that was a vision. And I know and I remember like it was yesterday, every time someone would walk by and look at the the restaurant being built and asked me the question. Oh, what what? What, what? What is that business say? Well, it’s you know, I had takeout you know, like restaurant food in the box. What?
JJ
Jeremy Julian
13:47
Yeah, exactly. Sorry, I’m chuckling about it. Because I think that same thing from 20 years ago, I’m sure I would have had some similar. Why would you do that? Who’s gonna? What are that stuff? So out? Sorry.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
13:58
Yeah, in the mind of people. I had dining was on the accepted in people’s dining room and Chef Oh my god chef. Yes. Ever, ever wanted to put their precious food in a box? You know, so. But I took that and I said, you know, I’m going to prove myself not only myself but the world that it is so possible if you work with your ingredients, and if you do it right, you will be able to, to really, the quality of the food will not suffer at all, you know, and for that, for that I needed to find about a way to put my food in a box.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
14:41
Yeah, I was gonna say how Yeah, I’m sure even packaging back then wasn’t nearly the same because what I found even through COVID and one of the big things that people forget is is product on a plate. It travels very differently than product in a box. Right?
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
14:57
I can I you know, of course and I have many Always, but that’s the thing. You know, when I, when I first started with that concept, my thing was okay, I have everything pinned up. Now I need I need to find a box. And I looked, and I looked, and they asked for samples, and I looked, and I couldn’t find anything, anything at all, there was nothing that really would keep the food, you know, hot. Beautiful, and the phrase crispy and everything. No, it just just was nothing around just clam shells narrow form. And I didn’t want to use that. I was a high end place. I didn’t want to use disgusting, nasty product. So I decided to create my own box.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
15:39
Oh, wow. Which is incredible. Yeah. Which
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
15:42
I did out of my head of my apartment home with a software. And I went to a box manufacturer locally, you know, it was in. They weren’t, I think, and I said, Can you do that box? And he looked at it? And I said, Yes, we can. How many do you want? And then I said, I don’t know.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
16:06
I don’t know who’s gonna buy it. But we’ll see.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
16:09
Yeah. So you know, we made a deal. I mean, the box was a little different from now then then. But the look is the same, everything was the same. It’s just a cardboard that’s living different. But it keeps it hot, we have bent van to open if if we do fry food, it’s really, it’s still to this day working with our business beautifully. And a lot of people want that. But every week, I have someone that calls and say when do you get those books, you can have them?
JJ
Jeremy Julian
16:37
You know, I love it. And I’m sure it helped quite a bit to have that. And we’ll get into it here in a few minutes. But I feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask. Between your upbringing, your Ritz Carlton days, there’s obviously a very famous other restaurant in Berkeley based in Berkeley that does the farm to table thing, but it’s more a dining room deal. Did you take any inspiration from you know, you know, the chicken pennies and kind of that that whole? You know, and again, I know it’s not the same, but it reminds me a lot of that, you know, and I have been there one time myself. And it’s a pretty amazing experience when you go because it’s so different than what we experienced here. Primarily in the US, as far as you know, dining at all. Did you guys take any inspiration from from, you know, kind of how they were doing farm to table stuff, you know, even back in the 70s and whatnot,
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
17:27
the inspiration? I had never been to ship and instead, you know, just because I work so much and I cooked a lot at home. Yeah, my wife and but the inspiration is not new to me. It’s the way I grew up. Yeah, no. So for me, it was nothing. Nothing new for the American people. It was but me I grew up in farms. And I grew up with with, you know, I have pigeon and chicken and rabbits that we were eating. So I mean, for me, it’s just, I wanted I wanted a lifestyle.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
18:00
But I appreciate the honesty.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
18:02
No, they they came and asked me for the recipe of my potato boss.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
18:07
Oh, I love it. I love it. Tell them tell me that story. Because I’m sure our listeners would love that before we kind of dig into kind of what where you guys are going and kind of kind of how you’re hoping to democratize what it is that you guys have been doing?
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
18:19
Well, we have a couple of recipes that are that are made by you know that our our home recipe in France then the first one is the potato puffs so I put it above him since day one. And I created that. I was trying to do menu menu planning and organized, you know, trial and I home and I there was a recipe that I was trying to do and I messed it up completely. But it turns out it really could. So the first day I opened Gregoire, I put that on the menu, and I wanted to change the menu every month, which we we did change every month. So everything would change every single month, and including the potatoes and including everything. But when I start serving those potato puff, everybody went crazy for them. And knowing that I was going to remove the menu, I mean, the next month they are everybody would say no, no, no, no, no. You can take this thing out. You can take this thing out. And so since you know they weren’t 20 years ago, we’ve been selling potato puff. I mean just that’s that’s what we got. Yeah. About a year. I would say about a year or two after we started the restaurant. I get a call. He was a year, probably a year, I get a call. And he’s like Can I can I get the Can I get some potato puff? I’m like, sure. Well, I would like to order a potato. I’ll come and pick it up. And I’m like, Okay, we do that all you know all the time. I make it and there’s a target tool guide comes to the restaurant after five minutes. And he goes, Hey, are you under some potato puff? Okay. Do you know why I am? I’m like, No. Well, I am cow. I’m the chef from shipper nice. I’m like, Ah, okay, great. Then there’s your potato path. Well, I have a question for you, do you think you think we can have the recipe for the potato path? I’m like, wow, what? Why? It’s like, well, you know, we’re having a dinner in couple days. And we’d like to do the potato path for on our anniversary party. I’m not saying, Well, I don’t think I can do that. You know, this is I prefer to read a recipe. And this is our bread and butter. We sell a lot of them. And I can’t really do that, really. But I’m the chef and chipper. Nice. I’m like, I know you are. But I can’t really do that. So, I mean, he left and I never heard of, you know, him again. I mean, I know him is his name is Kalin used to be the chef there. I mean, I know that the dining room chef, they used to be I mean, we talked about things. And but yes, that’s my story. We shipped bunnies. I mean,
JJ
Jeremy Julian
21:14
that’s a fun story. That’s a fun story. Sorry, I just couldn’t, you know, I was thinking of the you know, and I’ve been there, like I said, and, and had the opportunity to experience just the experience, because it’s so different. And especially, you know, when they started back in the 70s, it’s such a different experience. And even starting in the early 2000s, I’m still super intrigued about, you know, kind of this whole farm to table and bringing high quality food in a takeout in a takeout fashion. And really, I don’t say democratizing, like, there’s so few people that are able to experience that level of, of cuisine in their lifetime. And oftentimes, I think people experience food almost as a necessary evil don’t necessarily experience the the beauty of what food can be, and the experiences that it can create, like you’ve like you’ve said over the years, which, which I love that. So. So talk to me about what’s happened over the last 20 years, if you just kind of been your single restaurant, raising your kids, and now they’re now they’re in there, you know, and, you know, it’s just you and your wife read on the restaurant or talk to me a little bit about kind of how it’s grown over the years and what you guys have done?
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
22:17
Well, I’ve done a lot of things actually, in 2005, or six. I tried to forget. Just because it was right before the the what you call it the truth. Yeah, the recession, I we decided to open another restaurant in Auckland, which would, you know, help us because we were so busy. And people were asking, you know, Can Can you go into Oklahoma? Can you go knock on? And I said, you know, sure. And I looked for location, fantastic location on Piedmont Avenue in Oklahoma. It was beautiful. And it was really, really good. And I, I mean, I decided to open another one. But I, I decided to, I didn’t want to open two restaurants. I wanted to open one restaurant with a culinary where we would do the cooking in the back and then write to so we would keep that level of quality in both restaurants at the same time. So we did open in 2006, I think, Gregoire in Pima lab in Oakland, and we run the restaurant together with Gregoire in Berkeley for 11 years. And it was both were very busy and the system was working beautifully. We would we would do the change menu we would do in in Oklahoma and then cook all the ingredients in Oklahoma and bring it to Berkeley. So that I wanted to prove myself that I could do that. And I and I did. But my gosh, I was a different person person back then. My my vision in how to run a business was was really different. I wanted to I wanted to have my hands in everything. I wanted to run this I wanted to run the cooking and wanted to do the deliveries I wanted to I mean, we were so busy that I was working. I was working all the time. And I didn’t know what to get out of that. I it was it was too much for me. I kind of burned out completely. So we decided to close after 11 years, the Oklahoma location just because he was all this or you know. I mean, me just, you know, it was just too hard for me. And my wife had the babies. I mean, the babies were growing. They were in high school and I mean they were really there. I was not with them. So I said that’s it no more. So we sold. We sold Oklahoma and I took a month off. I went yep I took a month off, and I rebooted. And when I came back, I looked at requiring Berkeley and I mean, for the I didn’t touch Berkeley at all for a month. And I came back and everything was just perfect.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
25:13
Yes, I want to hear about this story. Because you and I talked about this pre show, and I’m excited to hear hear that that epiphany because it sounds like he had a, you know, you had to change, you had to change not just from the family in the personal health perspective, but, but But you realize that even without you’re handling it, the restaurant was blessing, you’re able to do so much more, you know, by by setting it up properly. So I’ll let you keep telling that story.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
25:38
Yeah, just talking about it gives me goosebumps, you know, it, it was really eye opening that after a month, everything ran ran fine. My close, my customer were happy. The review were just perfect. And I didn’t have to worry, I didn’t work. And my, my, my employee, were super happy that I was not there to.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
26:00
Yeah, they know, my team members do that same thing. So yeah, it was
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
26:05
just wow, it was a wow experience. And then for the next two, three years, I just was a support system. I mean, you know, when you close a business that is making money, because Oaklawn was making a lot of money for me, it was hard because I say, wow, my lifestyle is it isn’t going to support, you know, the fact that I’m going to have one restaurant now. And I mean, all the number, it never comes together before you close, you know, you just and then everything, just everything fall in place, money was perfect, you know, everything just just worked out all employees happy customer happy, I made enough money to, you know, to, for my lifestyle, it was just perfect. So I just, I just stand back, looked at the business worked on the business, you know, help them out if they needed me. You know, I looked at different ways to do things like work on the website, work on, you know, a lot of you know, back end things to make the business better and more organized. We we actually cut down on the menu, when I decided to now do instead of every month changing menu we do every three months. So seasonally, which made more sense in a lot of ways. And it was all geared to what can I do to have my business run without me or you know, with a minimum of me? Okay, yep. And so, I’ve been doing this for four years, you know, like just, you know, going there because the money, go to the bank, you know, and really organize and make sure the business run by itself, but just showing my face because I’m the face of your no Gregoire and my customer all know me, and they’ve been going there for 20 years.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
28:03
So well, and I think that, I mean, I think it’s a great example, for those that are listening, especially those that are in a place where they feel like they can’t get out from underneath what it is was oftentimes stepping back and working on the business rather than working in the business and identifying those items that only you can do. And allowing others to do what they do, or what they were blessed to do, or what they’re passionate about doing is probably a better chance of success than you trying to do everything which, which is what I’m hearing you say what I’m hearing you say that that you didn’t kind of that that forced that for stepping back and understanding what it is that that you need to do.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
28:42
Yes, I agree. 100% I mean, that that helped me looking for more technologies for more, you know, more things to automate and more, you know, make make a better business.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
28:55
Yep. So why don’t we go down that path before we kind of talk about how others can can engage with your brand. Tell me the areas that you focus your energy, and why you found technology. I mean, this is after all, the restaurant technology guys podcast, and those that are that are listening are probably like 20 minutes ago and all we talked about is really good food now I’m hungry. But tell me what this has to do with me. And so you know, you throughout the culinary hub model you’ve threw out the idea of you know, of replicating yourself but through technology replicating what it is that you guys do by doing only what you can uniquely do so talk to me a little bit about that journey and why you chose to go down that path and and where you think that you had your biggest wins and if there’s any I’m sure there are lots of skin knees and things that you potentially would have done differently if you had to do it again.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
29:47
Well, okay all these years you know, as I said, you know, I had a push button, cash register when I first started and that was so difficult and, and I went through many po systems, you know, to try to find the one that really is automated, and that can, you know, make my business much easier. But what I wanted is automation, when I got is automation, you know, going through many POS going through many systems, but now I have a POS where I can just that. I mean, it’s, it’s, it’s great for the customers. And it’s great for the owners. You know, my POS Yes, yeah. Yeah, go for it my POS is, it’s a good tool when a customer comes in it, phone number, email. They, it’s it’s all. It’s all. Let me, let me stop here for a second. Okay, so my POS is, it’s a really good tool, it link all the online or the on an order or link to the POS, all the delivery orders is linked to the POS. So you don’t need to put anything manually in a POS has got an awesome loyalty and reward we we it’s teamed up with an app. So we have our own app to do ordering, which is fantastic these days. Yes, we can do marketing along with the POS, because we have all those people’s phone number and email straight in the POS. So that’s fantastic. When orders are ready, it lets people know that the order is ready, because it’s all takeout, you know. So they, you know, they wait outside and self screaming their name, you know whom they get a text. And that makes it easy for them. Everything in the kitchen is automated to you know, it goes from one site to the other of the department, they don’t have to run any tickets.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
32:01
Yeah, running, the hang them and whatnot. Well, and I want our listeners to hear this, they’ve heard me say it a, you know, hundreds of times if they’ve heard it once. It’s just that understanding what your business wants and needs, you know, you wanted this, you wanted the contact info, understanding who your clients are understanding, you know, how they’re engaging with your brand, being able to talk with them directly, even outside of the third party delivery or that the online ordering pieces. But partnering with that technology provider to get it to where you want it to be, is hugely helpful. Because at the end of the day, that’s really what what the end goal is, is to talk to those people and serve them where they want to be a little bit more about that.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
32:43
Well, I mean, the customers,
JJ
Jeremy Julian
32:46
you say, No, I have the technology as much as anything, because I mean, technology for technology’s sake is worthless. technology that’s serving a business purpose is huge. The fact that you’re able to talk to your customers to market to them to understand what they’re ordering, is done understand what they’re eating, to understand how often they’re coming in to understand, you know, the the flows of those things is huge. And I think ultimately, people will put MPLS or put in loyalty here put in marketing, automation, but they don’t really understand what their end goal is. It sounds it sounds like well, you figured it out earlier, you figured it out. Now, you really know why you’re, you’re investing the money and time, it’s not a cost, it’s an investment to making your business better.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
33:26
You know, years ago, when I worked for the Ritz, it started there, you know, I mean, I’m a data type guy. So every morning, we would get a sheet with, you know, food costs, customer loyalty, people that comes back VIPs, you know, meeting around, what’s going to happen this day, and we had all that data that would come in, and let us know what, you know, what do we have to do? And it’s the same today, you know, I wanted a system where, you know, I can look at, if this dish works better than this dish, why these people buy that more than that? Why? How, why people want the spicy sauce, aside from this, why, you know, what time of the day they come? And last year, how many Valentine’s when you die, so and when and how did it go? So all this data is it’s what I need and what’s important and, you know, years ago, I we didn’t have the, the processes and the means to have this data nowadays. I mean that I skin. So I love it.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
34:32
I love it. Where is it going now? We’re like, tell me a little bit more. You know, we’re getting closer to our time to wrap up our conversation. But, you know, I think you got to you’ve got something that not just telling the success of what you guys have done, but I love you know, you said it to me and I’d love to have our audience here. You know, kind of the democratization of good food delivered in a good place. Talk to me a little bit about where you guys are going. Talk to me a little bit about the culinary You have and all of what what’s going on with that? Yes. So
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
35:02
when the when I decided that I was going to franchise, I took my years with, you know, Gregoire Oakland, and we were going to Berkeley, and I put it in good news, I knew that it would work, you know, we too, so I know we can work with 2030. So the thing is, what, what, what’s important in my business is the freshness and the quality of the product, okay, now, we need to pass that on to the franchisee and try to help them you know, not have to deal with with the cumbersome of cooking or cooking the product. You know, the, when, when it comes. So we decided to create the same model of a culinary hub kitchen, in market where we are going to create receive all the product from farmers, all the food and, and, and so build recipes, cook slides, portion, and do sources, portion sources, we do everything in house. So I mean, and there is secret recipes, too, that we use, like the potato part recipe, you know, we don’t want to give that away. So we’ll do everything. And then they have, they have an app that that will allow them to not only do their inventory at night to make sure you know they have their stuff, but also to look at the part that they need to offer the next day. So they can order through the app to the culinary hub, okay, and then we’ll deliver the food the next day in the morning. And they can you know, use. So what they’ll do at the franchise level, they will take all the product that we cook, and they would finish the sandwich the same way we do in Berkeley, or, you know, when when we had Oakland that would receive the product and then finish the product like real the bread or toast the bread, put the sauce on it, or you know, grill the meat or and then finish the sandwich. Yep, put it in the box, and then give it to the customers.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
37:04
I love it. I love it. So I mean, the thing that you and I talked about pre show a little bit that I’m I’m intrigued about is the fact that to do what you do, has taken you, you know, I don’t know 30 years to get to the level of of quality to get to the level of experience to get the level of exposure to be able to deliver at the level that you’re hoping to talk to me a little bit about why you think this is going to work for somebody that may not be a restaurant tour, you know, they’re in a place where they’re like, You know what I always love, I always love the product that we’d love what they’re doing. But now I want to experience it myself as a franchisee.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
37:46
Well, think about it, you know, 20 years ago when I opened Greg Walker, and you had that same that same thought you said, wow, how did you do it? Why did you do it? You know, but fine dining is expensive. How did you manage to, to put this into good use? And to make sure people you know, we’re not, you know, saying Wow, it’s so expensive, I can’t afford this. It’s in the box and adding all those judgments you know, about the food that we do? Well, I’m, I’m based on the size of the place, it’s so small, so I don’t have the overhead that others have. So I can really focus on selling food and price the food, right? So I mean, actually, the way I make money is by selling more food than anyone else. Okay, I sell more food than anyone else. I don’t make food on drinks. I mean money, I don’t make money on drinks. Because, you know, I don’t have a liquor license and a lot of restaurants, you know, I’ve said buy the liquor license, you make I make money on selling price, right? It’s not too much. It’s not not enough. It’s just price. Right? And so people I mean, it’s a bit more expensive than then any other you know, not not, you know, any other franchise or or restaurants just because our product is different. We use it and you know, so but overall it is not exorbitant people are not you know, going home and saying oh my god, it’s so expensive. I won’t come back. They go, Oh my God, it was so good and worth it.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
39:19
Yeah. And I need to come back. And I can get that five days a week rather than rather than having to do it only on a special occasion on an anniversary or a birthday or something like that. Whereas oftentimes, that’s the experience that a lot of people it’s a special occasion or it’s a business dinner when they’re going out for fine dining. It’s not like you can get the quality.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
39:37
Yeah, oh customer. I’ve been coming back for 20 years. Our customers come one, three times a week. Oh, I’ll tell you that. My system tells me like repeat customers. So I look at my system and it says Oh 64% repeat customer today. Oh 78% repeat customer today from the last you know to another transaction you had so You know, people are coming back, they’re really enjoyed the food, they really want more.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
40:05
I love it. I love it. So if I want to learn more about what it is that you guys do, how do I how do I, how do I engage with you? How do I engage with your team? How do I get, I guess to the next step now that I’m like, I need this and I need this, you know where I’m at. I want to get in the restaurant business, I want to understand how to deliver this, because I’m passionate about getting good food to people. Tell me a little bit more about what that would look like for for somebody that’s listening to the podcast that that’s just blown away with what you’re doing and wants to be a part of it?
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
40:35
Well, the best way for sure is to on our website, that’s where you will find the most information you go on. Yeah, I mean, we have two website, we have the franchise website where you can, you know, look at the business side of it. The name of the website is g franchise.com. It’s easy
JJ
Jeremy Julian
40:52
to make them you didn’t make a French word, huh? No, no, no, no. Like, if it’s
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
40:57
simple, g franchise.com. And so there you can really see, you know, the business side and what you know, we offer as a franchise, which is completely different from any other franchise, I mean, the support that we you’re going to get with us is unbeatable, I mean, we have a culinary of at least two hours away from your franchise. That means that means someone can come to you in less than two hours and help you doing whatever or expending whatever you want. Also, every day we’ll have someone from the corporation in a driver of delivery person, you know, right there with you looking at your business or answering question if you have or transferring questions if you have. So it really is a model where we are here for you. I mean, we are in hand together, you know. And so, no, I got sidetracked.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
41:51
No, you’re fine. You’re fine. And I mean, I think at the end of the day, part of what, what people don’t understand about the franchise business is that ultimately you need these franchisees to be successful, if you’re going to be successful growing your brand and continuing to deliver on your brand promise that says, let’s put some stuff out there that’s going to end up in, you know, being what what it is that you want to put out into the world and what you want to be proud of.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
42:15
That’s right. That’s right. Thank you. So the other website we have is our it’s our website, it’s Gregoire restaurant.com. So g r e g, or i r e, r e s, t. Au R and t.com it’s pretty easy, you know,
JJ
Jeremy Julian
42:35
as a native language, right, you know, obviously teasing you but ya know, I
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
42:39
love it there you can you can see, you know, we all we do as a as a restaurant. And I mean, you can also type Gregoire restaurant in your browser and men and you’ll get all the reviews.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
42:51
I’m looking at it right now and I am I for those longtime listeners know that I moved from California to Texas and it’s, it’s about an hour from lunchtime. I have one more podcast to record was those potato puffs look like they’re pretty deadly. Those things look pretty amazing. They’re right on the front and center of the website. So for those don’t go to the website if you’re hungry, because you’ll probably eat more than you should but but certainly go check them out.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
43:16
And they are addictive. I tell you
JJ
Jeremy Julian
43:20
I couldn’t own a restaurant cuz I think it’d be foreigner pounds if I if I did.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
43:24
I guess people coming from from all over you know, they fly to the Bay Area and first thing then they come to Gregoire to get their potato buff.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
43:31
I love it. I love it. They look pretty fantastic. But looking at the website, so
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
43:36
yep, you can also email me then Gregoire g franchise.com. Okay, or call me at 510-455-0494
JJ
Jeremy Julian
43:48
I love it. I love it. Well, I’m I have not experienced the brand yet. I’m I’m jealous. I’m a little disappointed and I promise you the next time I get to Berkeley I will be experiencing it and hopefully that will get we’ll get some franchise franchise brands that are franchisees that are delivering on this product product promise closer to me whether it’s in Southern California which I’m in least once a month or we’re here in here in Texas it’d be exciting to experience your guys’s your guys’s your guys’s brand and the product because it looks pretty remarkable. I’m not gonna lie.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
44:23
Thank you, as I say, you know, we’re gonna focus the next few years in the Bay Area. So I don’t know how many years maybe two years in the Bay Area and then probably opened another market so I have no I don’t know yet depends on the demand of the market. But most definitely, we can open one market and market and another and another. So it’s we have to open up acute in our hub, every market. So if you know it’s not going to take time, it’s just going to take organization.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
44:54
Well, I know I’ve got to get up to Berkeley to to go see a client in the next day. Last month, so I certainly will be stopping by to go to go see and I’ll give you a ring. For sure. Well, thank you for telling me your storytelling. Thank you for kind of given me a back history of all of what you’ve done. Again, selfishly, I’m a little bit jealous because now I want those potato puffs and I may even make a specific trip up to Berkeley to go check them out. But to your audience, guys, we know that you guys have tons of choices, as I said, on the onset, as to how you can spend your time so we appreciate you guys spending time. Gregoire thank you for for, for sharing your story for sharing your history for sharing the brand and kind of where you guys are at. I love hearing the stories. I love listening to restaurant tours. And I especially love listening, listening to the restaurant tours that have figured it out and are really investing in their business and helping to deliver great food at a good price to people that need it. Because you know what? Oftentimes people can experience this. So while you guys are out checking out the website, please go give us a rating on your favorite podcast player because it does help others to find the podcasts and if you guys have people that you guys think should be on the show, send them my way. Greg Werth thank you so much for your time and to our audience. Make it a great day.
I
Intro
46:09
Thanks for listening to the restaurant technology guys podcast. Visit restaurant technology guys.com For tips, Industry Insights and more to help you run your restaurant better
JJ
Jeremy Julian
43:48
I love it. I love it. Well, I’m I have not experienced the brand yet. I’m I’m jealous. I’m a little disappointed and I promise you the next time I get to Berkeley I will be experiencing it and hopefully that will get we’ll get some franchise franchise brands that are franchisees that are delivering on this product product promise closer to me whether it’s in Southern California which I’m in least once a month or we’re here in here in Texas it’d be exciting to experience your guys’s your guys’s your guys’s brand and the product because it looks pretty remarkable. I’m not gonna lie.
GJ
Grégoire Jacquet
44:23
Thank you, as I say, you know, we’re gonna focus the next few years in the Bay Area. So I don’t know how many years maybe two years in the Bay Area and then probably opened another market so I have no I don’t know yet depends on the demand of the market. But most definitely, we can open one market and market and another and another. So it’s we have to open up acute in our hub, every market. So if you know it’s not going to take time, it’s just going to take organization.
JJ
Jeremy Julian
44:54
Well, I know I’ve got to get up to Berkeley to to go see a client in the next day. Last month, so I certainly will be stopping by to go to go see and I’ll give you a ring. For sure. Well, thank you for telling me your storytelling. Thank you for kind of given me a back history of all of what you’ve done. Again, selfishly, I’m a little bit jealous because now I want those potato puffs and I may even make a specific trip up to Berkeley to go check them out. But to your audience, guys, we know that you guys have tons of choices, as I said, on the onset, as to how you can spend your time so we appreciate you guys spending time. Gregoire thank you for for, for sharing your story for sharing your history for sharing the brand and kind of where you guys are at. I love hearing the stories. I love listening to restaurant tours. And I especially love listening, listening to the restaurant tours that have figured it out and are really investing in their business and helping to deliver great food at a good price to people that need it. Because you know what? Oftentimes people can experience this. So while you guys are out checking out the website, please go give us a rating on your favorite podcast player because it does help others to find the podcasts and if you guys have people that you guys think should be on the show, send them my way. Greg Werth thank you so much for your time and to our audience. Make it a great day.
I
Intro
46:09
Thanks for listening to the restaurant technology guys podcast. Visit restaurant technology guys.com For tips, Industry Insights and more to help you run your restaurant better
