How Grégoire’s Hub-and-Spoke Model Sets Franchisees Up for Success

Grégoire stands out with its unique approach to both food and franchising. Founder Grégoire Jacquet, with over 40 years of culinary expertise, has shaped a brand that marries convenience with the essence of fine dining, challenging traditional notions in the industry. A key component of this success is the brand’s innovative "Hub-and-Spoke" business model. 

“In the restaurant business, there are different parts of operation — there is the front-of-the-house and the back-of-the-house,” Jacquet said. “When it comes to the back-of-the-house, there is the part where you prepare the food, process it and store it until it is used to make the dishes. The food never goes directly from the source to the plate. So, the essence of Grégoire's Hub-and-Spoke model is simple: take care of that whole pre-cook process for our franchisees.” 

All ingredients required to create the Grégoire menu are sourced, portioned and prepared at the culinary Hub. Each morning, the ingredients needed for that day are delivered straight to franchise locations. From there, 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. 

“The only thing that the franchisee would have to do is open the container of prepared food and finish the food at the location,” Jacquet said. “That is taking a huge step out of the typical restaurant business model.”

And this isn’t Grégoire’s first rodeo — Jacquet emphasizes that the proven model leverages long-established relationships with vendors and a deep knowledge of food preparation. 

“For the last 22 years, we’ve created a lot of relationships, systems and processes,” Jacquet said. “We do this every day, all day — we order the food, we create the menu, we prepare it, etc. This isn’t unfamiliar territory for us.”

When it comes to franchisees, the benefits of this model extend far beyond operational simplicity, Jacquet says. Cost efficiency, for example, is another big advantage. 

“The cost of the product is going down because they don’t have to worry about delivery, and we have systems in place to price the food correctly,” Jacquet said. “When it comes to labor, you can achieve way more because you are able to make larger quantities with fewer people.”

Portion control, a critical aspect of cost management for any restaurant, is also optimized through the Hub-and-Spoke model. “Portion can cost you a lot of money if you aren’t paying attention,” Jacquet said. “Some people portion more than others, some do less than others, but when it comes to the Hub, we will have tools that will make portion control much more efficient and replicable. It will always be 2 ounces, not 2.5 ounces.”

At the end of the day, Grégoire’s Hub-and-Spoke model is all about maintaining quality and consistency across locations. The brand’s ethos revolves around utilizing only the best farm-to-table products with a unique rotating menu, which changes quarterly to reflect the seasonal availability of locally sourced ingredients.

“Because our menu is changing quarterly, the Hub-and-Spoke model is really key,” Jacquet said. “We create everything at the Hub the night before and deliver it to the restaurant the next morning. The quality of the food is the same, the ingredients are the same, preparation is the same — everything will be the same every time.”

Now, with its newly launched franchise opportunity and plans to disrupt one of the biggest segments in foodservice, this centralized Hub-and-Spoke model promises strong, symbiotic relationships with incoming franchisees. 

“They depend on us giving them great food and we depend on them to take care of the customer the right way,” Jacquet said. “There is no other franchise like this in the fast-casual space — you can really rely on the franchisor to be part of your business. The franchisee is the community partner, and we are the culinary partner.”

Overall, Jacquet knows more than anybody that operating a restaurant is inherently challenging, but, as the Hub-and-Spoke model shows, the Grégoire franchise was designed to make it all a little bit easier. 

“There are a lot of moving parts involved in trying to make a profit,” Jacquet said. “It all starts with the ingredients you are using. You are selling food, so if you can really lock down the product you are selling, the ingredients you buy and the way you prepare it, then you have already won half of the battle. When it comes to operating a fine-dining restaurant that serves food that you love without all the complexities, Grégoire is the way to go.”

For more information on becoming a Grégoire franchisee, visit: https://1851franchise.com/gregoire.