Grégoire Co-Founder Tara Jacquet Shares About the Restaurant's Evolution

Tara Jacquet would have never guessed that a work event would change the trajectory of her life, but it did.

Over 20 years ago, Jacquet, a photographer at the time, was documenting the Berkeley Repertory Theater’s annual fundraising gala at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco when the executive sous chef there caught her eye. She started speaking to the man, a French chef named Grégoire Jacquet, and they set up a date for the following week.

Fast forward to 2022, and the married couple are now the owners of their restaurant Grégoire, which has been a Berkeley favorite for two decades and is now venturing into franchising opportunities. 

Jacquet spoke to 1851 Franchise about their journey of opening and operating a successful eatery that is now franchising. 

1851 Franchise: How did the idea of starting your own business and creating Grégoire come about?

Tara Jacquet: When we were first married, Grégoire was still working with the Ritz Carlton, in Puerto Rico. It was a hard job, where he worked very, very long hours. We just didn't feel like there was any room for a family with that lifestyle. So we decided to come to my hometown of Berkeley, California. We didn't really have a plan but the pieces all started to come together because he knew he didn't want to go back into the hotel business. It just was not conducive to the more stable, regular family lifestyle we wanted. 

Obviously Grégoire’s skills are in the restaurant world, so it just seemed like a natural fit to start a business and open something, but he didn't want to do the traditional kind of fine dining restaurant with tables and waiters, or even just casual dining. He wanted something where he could be in charge of the food, serve the food and make the customers happy. 

1851: What was the process of finding a physical space for the business?

Jacquet: This is my home, my neighborhood and where we want to be. These are the people we know, the places I frequented and the streets I grew up on. We live here and love it here. There is a lot of energy here. 

We found a tiny little place that had been boarded up for a while but thought it could work as it’s in a great spot. We’re right near UC Berkeley and right in the Gourmet Ghetto, which is a famous local foodie area in the city. It just felt right, and it all worked out. 

1851: When you and Grégoire started the restaurant, how did that affect the family dynamics and lead to the more stable lifestyle you were looking for? 

Jacquet: At first, the restaurant took a lot of time. It was very labor intensive and he was deeply involved. So he was still working a lot at time, but we felt like we were working towards something rather than just working for someone else or for nothing. 

When our kids, Milo and Elodie, were really little, he was working until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. But we were lucky because we lived really close to the restaurant. So our daily outing would be to walk up there, and Grégoire would take an extended lunch break, so we could all sit in the park together for an hour. It was really nice, just to sit in the grass and drink some coffee or have a snack. It was something we did every day rain or shine. 

Then they started school and he changed his schedule so we could do dinner together. So he would work earlier and work all day, but then be home in time for dinner. It  was really great that the restaurant let us have that schedule. Sometimes we'd have to go back to work after dinner, but it was okay because his long break was really important family time. We established those routines which have lasted - we still have dinner every night together as a family.

1851: How has your role as co-founder evolved from the start to now?

Jacquet: I think from the start I've always been more of a subtle influencer. I offer a lot of input in our discussion forums at home. I offer insight on what isn't working and possible solutions, while Grégoire is the hands-on one, implementing and doing the practices at work. 

Right now, with franchising, our duties are kind of in transition. We don’t really have a typical day–in-the-life right now because we are moving in such a new direction. It’s been very exciting. 

1851: What influence do you have on menu selection?

Jacquet: He definitely takes what he learns, what he sees and what surrounds him when he travels, and all these things influence him and have helped him to create the menu. He likes to hear what people have to say - either his customers or me. He's not opposed to listening. 

He stays attune to what's popular, what people like and what's trendy or new. 

I definitely play a role in that. The menu is something Gregoire creates and he definitely is the force behind the menu, but there have been many times where I'll see something on the menu and it’s my recipe, and he didn’t even realize it. 

1851: Can you share a little about your involvement with the culinary hub concept?

Jacquet: When Gregoire presented the idea of wanting to franchise I was a little hesitant because I feel the menu is complex and can’t be as easily replicated as some other concept. Nothing is frozen and it's not easy to make sometimes, but one of our strongest assets is how good our food is. I didn't want to compromise that. 

I really felt we needed more control over the quality of the menu and the ingredients, so I told him that we needed to have some sort of central kitchen where we make everything from scratch and everything is made  by hand. And as we discussed the process of opening more Grégoires, he felt the same - that the concept was fit to have the central culinary hub.

1851: How has the vision of the restaurant changed over the last 20 years?

Jacquet: I think the vision is expanding in the sense that we've always been very dedicated to having great, unique food, but we have narrowed it down to our best dishes and the things that people love the most. We're still change the menu and keep it exciting and fresh, but we are more focused on what's really popular and the items that the customers really enjoy.

1851: What is it about Grégoire that is most attractive for potential franchisees?

Jacquet: Our business is definitely unique. We are not cookie cutter. We definitely want them to feel that they are running a business that has something unique to offer the community, with a neighborhood feel and will really stand out. It is not your average restaurant. 

With the culinary hub, you don't have to have a culinary background per se, but to just be a food lover. We're really going to help them to have the best food on the block and they don't necessarily have to be the best chef ever because we're really going to support them through the central kitchen. 

The cost to open a Grégoire franchise ranges from $298,924 to $420,100. For more information on franchising with Grégoire, visit www.gfranchise.com. 

About Grégoire:

French-trained chef Grégoire Jacquet had a vision of a local restaurant offering quality fine dining-style food with the convenience of a quick carry-out experience. In 2002, Grégoire opened its doors as the first fine-fast-casual restaurant concept that serves gourmet sandwich and salad dishes, its famous potato puffs and scratch daily fresh-made french fries, all served in a custom-designed take out box. After two decades of serving the local Berkley, CA community, Grégoire has launched franchising opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.