By Hervine Mahaud
Published on 26 Mar 21 @ 7:32 pm
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From the first confinement, the home food delivery has met with tremendous success. And this trend should take hold for good in our habits. So much so that “dark kitchens”, 2.0 restaurants designed solely for the takeaway, are emerging everywhere.
In full deployment throughout France, Devor, a pioneer in this sector, opened its first franchise at Lille. Launched on March 17, 2021, this new kitchen offers several brands: Saint Burger, Mama Tacos, Fat Fat (poutines), Holy Chick (fried chicken)… Comfort food to order on Uber Eats and Deliveroo to enjoy it quietly at home.
The pioneer of the dark kitchen model
This is a more than successful bet for Jean Valfort, president of Panorama Group and who owns six traditional restaurants in Paris and Nice. In 2018, the restaurateur launched the “Dark Kitchen” concept and opened kitchens exclusively devoted to the preparation of take-away dishes.
“We didn’t invent delivery, it’s been around for ages, like pizza deliveries. But we allowed that to emerge, and thanks to technology it has become much easier to order, ”emphasizes the entrepreneur.
He is thus “convinced that this is a fundamental trend. This service will be appreciated more and more and the offer will expand ”. Himself a restaurateur by trade, Jean Valfort clearly distinguishes this service from traditional catering.
We go to a restaurant to live an experience, to meet up with friends. There, we come to feed people in their homes when, for example, they are too lazy to go out or cook.
And even if it is primarily street food, there is no question of cutting corners on quality. “Today, the customer is no longer fooled, he knows how to make a difference,” says Jean Valfort. We do not want to industrialize the process, we want it to remain artisanal and for that, we must join forces with local players. “The products are thus carefully chosen,” the meat comes from Normandy, we selected a butcher and we created our own steak. The burger bun was created with a baker from Savoie. And the vegetables are sourced locally. “
Change of name and launch of the franchise
Three years after launching “Dark Kitchen”, and a global pandemic that still keeps customers away from restaurants, he “transformed the trial.” The lockdown allowed many people to discover this service because they were forced into it. And they have taken a liking to it. When life returns, they will continue to use delivery. “
In the meantime, Dark Kitchen has become a generic name, “a bit like a fridge. So to differentiate ourselves, we changed our name ”. Since last February, the concept has therefore been called Devor (contraction of “Delivered to your door”, delivered to your door) and is launched as a franchise. The very first one is installed in Lille, at 18 place Catina, a few steps from the Catho. It is Lucas Laurent, a Lille resident who worked for the group, who leads the way. Other Dévor franchises will soon be launched all over France.
In Lille, a kitchen open to the street
To put an end to this “dark” image once and for all, Lille’s well-established cuisine. We can thus see the cooks working through bay windows. “We have a lot of passers-by who stop to watch. Suddenly, it allows us to explain the concept by going to meet them, ”laughs Lucas.
–Inside the restaurant, there are several stations: cooking, assembly, frying, and even packaging. Everything revolves around a central island. The four employees are called upon to be versatile, just like the director of the franchise who runs on all positions, “to know my business inside out”.
For now, four rather street-food-oriented brands are offered via the Uber Eats and Deliveroo platforms: Saint Burger, Mama Tacos, Fat Fat (poutines), Holy Chick (fried chicken). “And by next week, we’ll be launching Squeeze Smashed Burger, they’re American burgers with the smashed steak.” And Tealer Munchies, in collaboration with a clothing brand, which is a compendium of everything we offer, ”describes Lucas.
In the weeks and months to come, the Lille franchise will have a terminal installed outside the restaurant. It will be possible to order on the tablet to collect your menu directly on site.
New brands in development
For its part, the group will work on its future brands. And there is no lack of ideas! “We are going to develop an offer of tapas to share with friends, a brand for aperitifs or a brand of brunch for deliveries on Sundays. And that’s just the beginning ! “, Enthuses Jean Valfort.
The director of Panorama Group also has the idea of developing Dévor Store. In the premises that will have sufficient space, there will be “rather high-end” grocery products also available for delivery.
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