Hi there !
You may have seen a few Bioburger signs popping up in Paris? Well today we are going to meet one of its co-founders! Will Bioburger become the new reference fast food in opposition to the American giants? We wish them!
A project of friends
Anthony Darré had the idea for this homemade and organic fast food in 2007, in his second year of studies. The idea of entrepreneurship deepened as the studies progressed, until the culmination: the opening of the first restaurant in 2011.
While he initially wanted to work in luxury, he quickly realized that he preferred to be independent, and not reduce himself to a single task, a single job. Anthony teamed up with Louis, one of his school friends. They were always wondering where they were going to eat for lunch, and were tired of having to end up in a little gloomy fast-food for lack of choice.
So they started to think about their project, but before that they had to make sure that they would work well as partners. Because being friends does not necessarily mean that we will form a good working partner! So they did group work together and saw that they were very complementary.
Why did you launch Bioburger?
It first came from a personal appetite for the burger. The two founders wanted to democratize organic, which they consider to be a real philosophy, adding a nuance to organic for men.
They wanted to improve the image of organic food by showing that it can be accessible at a fair price, and very tasty. The cheapest menu, with burger (the original), fries or coleslaw, and drink, costs €11.90.
The two founders did not think that the restaurant would become a chain, but given the growing success they said to themselves that they would like to make it their job, and ultimately compete with the American giants.
A responsible approach
Everything you eat and drink is organic, even the ketchup! There's a vegetarian alternative for those who want to eat on the go but stick to their principles.
In addition, with the aim of limiting waste, Bioburger is a partner of the Moulinot company which collects waste, processes it and makes it into compost that is distributed to farmers and individuals who request it. No matter how much you open your eyes, you won't find any plastic packaging!
Entrepreneurship advice
According to Anthony, the best time to embark on entrepreneurship is after studies, because the risks are limited. He believes that entrepreneurship comes down to "planting a lot of seeds so that they germinate long after". It's a long-term investment, and you have to be patient to see the results.
He believes that the difficulty when looking for capital is not to fall into investment funds. His team wants to keep its identity, and does not hesitate to minimize the margins in order to be able to make organic food accessible to all.
Anthony regrets that the State does not help companies that try to work in favor of ecology. He recommends that individuals looking to invest turn to sustainable companies, thanks to the Lita platform, a reference in terms of "crowd equity".
For Anthony, being an entrepreneur is full of things: being multifunctional, taking risks, being persistent, seeing far, and knowing how to rise above to think about large-scale issues. Ideally if you can be a visionary, that's a plus!
It is necessary to have a 360° vision when one undertakes: it is important to understand a minimum of the different trades of the company in order to be able to guide legitimately. "You have to master all the ingredients for the mayonnaise to set".
To people who would like to embark on entrepreneurship, Anthony says that it is necessary to have time to devote to it, knowing that you have to give yourself body and soul to your project. It is essential to remain optimistic and believe in yourself.
So much for Anthony's portrait, now if you meet him in one of his restaurants you can tell him everything you know about him!
Briochely yours,
The Bonsai team