Louis Vuitton launched a new restaurant in Saint-Tropez on Friday, its first in France. Before her, other luxury brands opened their own establishments all over the world.
The famous Place des Lices, in the heart of Saint-Tropez, has been hosting a new restaurant since Friday. It is in the setting of the luxurious Hotel White 1921, managed by LVMH, that its subsidiary Louis Vuitton has decided to open its first establishment in France, soberly presented as “a destination where the taste for design vibrates in unison with a contemporary gourmet spirit”.
For this new project, Louis Vuitton has entrusted the artistic direction to starred chef Mory Sacko, who worked on the show Top chef and known for its cuisine combining French, Japanese and African flavors. Which will be served to the quarantine of the establishment.
The kitchen is trendy
Although this is Louis Vuitton’s first restaurant in France, the luxury brand already has its table in Osaka, Japan, as well as two cafes in Osaka and Seoul. Moreover, it is not the only house to venture into the world of gastronomy. The trend that started a few years ago continues to grow stronger.
In Paris, at the intersection of rue Montaigne and rue François 1er, Dior opened a restaurant in March under the leadership of Jean Imbert, another emblematic chef who worked for Top chef. Seven years earlier, Burberry launched its Café Thomas in London and Ralph Lauren launched its own on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Gucci is no exception. The Italian house operates four establishments in Florence, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Seoul. And then there is that of Chanel and Alain Ducasse in Japan, the three from Versace in Dubai, the Café Prada in Milan or even the 20 from Armani all over the world. Without forgetting Tiffany, Saint-Laurent, Bulgari and many others who have also entered the world of cooking.
Loyalty
A diversification that testifies to the desire of luxury houses to no longer limit themselves to the sale of their traditional products in order to promote their brand image:
“I always wanted the Armani brand to become an expression of lifestyle, of sophisticated simplicity as a sign of elegance in all areas, and food which is one of the most important elements of daily life could not not miss”, explained in particular Giorgo Armani.
The opening of restaurants or cafes is also an opportunity to consolidate the brand with new sources of income and to build customer loyalty by encouraging them to consume more and more, as these establishments are often located near or even in the heart of the stores.
“Cafés improve the overall experience and allow our customers to stay and spend more time with us. Some customers may spend an entire day shopping: they have lunch, then start shopping again, and finally they relax with a snack in the afternoon”, indicated to the World James Gilchrist, director of DSM New York.
