After its acquisition by the FnB mission fund, Cafés Legal presented an ambitious plan to win back French consumers. Founded in 1851 in Le Havre, historic coffee import port, the company aims to become in the medium term the fourth player in coffee sold in mass distribution in France.
A new team led by Christophe Pouyès, PDG of Legal Coffees, developed the first axes of the company's development plan for the coming months. “The strategy must allow Cafés Legal, French heritage brand, to regain its place in the daily lives of the French by offering them the best quality-price solution. Whatever your budget, each consumer must find the coffee they consider the best”, explains Christophe Pouyès. The strategic plan is based on several pillars. First, brand identity. Cafés Legal decided to develop a new brand identity, embodied by a new logo. The term “counter” appears there : reference to both the anchorage in Le Havre, historic coffee counter, and to this place where you enjoy your coffee with pleasure. It reflects the DNA of the brand : roasting coffee. In addition, the number of references in the different product ranges will be reduced and these references refocused to better meet consumer aspirations, with formats adapted to each consumption habit. This tight portfolio of girl brands includes : Family Tradition, The Café Bistrot, Grand Arabica and Café des Chefs.
The advantage of coffee beans
Cafés Legal aims to develop strongly in the coffee bean segment, where its expertise gives it a competitive advantage. The company generates 20% of its sales in this growing segment. (+15 %). It has already launched six new references since July 2023. In parallel, the company plans to pause the capsules in order to reflect on the capacity of Cafés Legal to offer a relevant offer in a very competitive market.
Capitalize on local roots in Le Havre
The Cafés Legal company has been historically established in Le Havre since 1851.. The city has been the cradle of coffee roasting in France since the 18th century., and the rest today with around 50% of the coffee consumed in France passing through the port. Cafés Legal benefits from the expertise and know-how of its 130 employees, of which 105 operate from the Le Havre site, where production has always been located, la R&D and all administrative services (purchases, finance, computer science, RH). Since 2022, the company has implemented a transformation plan which aims to modernize its factory, with targeted investments in order to improve the industrial tool and increase its production capacities. Significant investments will also be devoted to increasing production capacity, notably the start-up of a new coffee bean packaging line., but also investments aimed at improving comfort, safety and quality of life at work for employees.
A NEW TEAM
The new management committee team is led by Christophe Pouyès, president and CEO. Christophe Pouyès began his career as head of the mass distribution sector at Kraft Jacobs Suchard in 1991. He subsequently built solid experience in sales and marketing management within Mondelez., on retail and out-of-home distribution channels, on coffee categories, chocolate and biscuit. In 2016, he joined the adventure of creating the company Carte Noire SAS as a member of the management committee in charge of studies and the definition of strategic innovation and CSR projects. He took over the management of Cafés Legal in June 2023 following the acquisition of the company by the French investment fund FnB Private Equity, a financial and sectoral player dedicated exclusively to supporting French SMEs in the agri-food sector.
