In the city center of Nantes, a restaurant open since March 2022 offers burgers for less than 4 euros. The managers explain to us how they achieve this.
In Nantes, the thermometer shows more than 35 degrees. But in the Trinita burger restaurant, customers have not deserted the terrace. The orders are linked, and in the kitchen the rhythm must follow.
On the terrace, two young people enjoy their burger, with fries and a drink. They each paid around 8 euros for the whole thing. Two teenagers are seated, in the shade: “A friend gave me the address, telling me that the prices are low and the burgers are homemade. Today, I’m coming to introduce my friend Gabriel”explains Anselme.
Here, customers are built by word of mouth. According to the restaurant’s co-director, Kévin Amarouche, the restaurant’s success is exponential: since the restaurant opened in March, he claims that turnover has almost doubled every month. “We have good comments on the internet. All customers who taste usually come back”explains the 34-year-old man, who created the restaurant with his sister and Céline Collet as well as his friend Mickaël Amiri.
The three of them have bet on local products: the bread is provided by a baker from Carquefou, the meat comes from Poiré-sur-Vie in Vendée, and the vegetables are bought from surrounding farms.
A few tables further, we find Louis, a regular who works as a manager in the hairdressing salon opposite. He comes almost every day: “We love what they do here, it’s good and the decor is nice. It’s good to have new restaurants in the neighborhood. And it’s fast, convenient when you only have half an hour lunch break”. For him, the price is still cheaper: as a merchant in the district, he is entitled to a 10% discount.
A little further on, Elyès, another customer, jokes: “It’s good and cheap. I asked them: did you steal the meat or what? Compared to some places it’s 50% cheaper”.
“We focus on volume”, says Kévin Amarouche, who sells between 1,000 and 1,500 burgers every week, which allows him to negotiate prices. For each meal sold, the restaurant makes a margin about twice as large as its competitors.
At the head of several other establishments in collective catering, he also maintains the commercial link with his suppliers: “I ask them to supply all the restaurants, which allows me to negotiate volumes and have attractive prices for everyone”he says, “what I wanted was for the general public to have access to community rates”.
A risky bet, which he secures with other activities. For the past week, the restaurant has been offering cocktails at competitive prices. Next step for the partners of Trinita burger: start a catering activity.
