Total Food Service Magazine: Q&A with Grégorie Jacquet, Chef and Founder of Grégorie, Berkeley, California

Grégorie was established in 2002, with the first restaurant location opening in Berkeley, California by owner and founder Grégorie Jacquet, who as of recently began seeking franchise opportunities. When asked about what inspired Jacquet to open his first restaurant, he said that he realized at a young age that delicious, nutritious foods could be served in large quantities. In deciding that he wanted to be a chef, he went to culinary school and later met French master chef Jacky Robert after traveling to the United States. Jacquet then moved to the U.S. at 19 years old, with just one bag and a big dream. 

Before opening the first Grégorie location, Jacquet worked at Amileos and then the Ritz Carlton as a banquet chef. When he and his wife decided they wanted to grow a family, they moved to the Bay Area. He no longer wanted to work for someone else; he wanted to have flexibility in order to focus on his family. Thus, Grégorie was born. 

In order to deliver fresh, gourmet takeout options, Jacquet wanted to break the mold in which the traditional, high-end cuisine model followed. 

“No chef wanted to put their food in the box,” he said. “Chefs, in general, are very stubborn and think their food is only good 10 seconds after they make it and put it on the plate. But at the Ritz, I learned how to adapt fine dining to be served in big quantities. I thought it was possible to do the same thing but takeout-style, without compromising the quality of the food.” 

Jacquet buys his ingredients from a local farmer he met in Berkeley years ago. With ingredients changing seasonally, he creates new recipes every quarter and ensures franchisees are trained to re-create these recipes everywhere. For instance, his famous potato puffs call for an intricate and detailed preparation. To best equip his franchisees, Grégorie has a central kitchen location where ingredients are prepared, cooked daily and then delivered to each location. This ensures that employees at these locations are able to easily follow the seasonal recipes. 

The culinary model also includes a software that does inventory and product ordering for the franchise locations. This takes a lot of the backend work responsibility off of the franchisees and allows them to focus on providing exceptional customer service. When asked what Jacquet looks for in a franchisee, he mentioned that he wants someone who is extremely people-oriented and has a passion for the overall customer experience.  

You can read the full article at Total Food Service Magazine.