Franchise concept combining caterer and grocery store, Ti Case La Réunion is a project imagined by Hugo Fetter and his father Patrick, with a family tradition of Reunionese catering in Lyon for more than thirty years. A project whose grocery component is hampered by the lack and irregularity of the distribution of Reunion products in mainland France.
“We want to create places that will be an invitation to travel. There are candidates for this type of cuisine with a strong cultural dimension. » Hugo Fetter, student in master's degree in animation and development of franchise networks at the University of Lyon, knows what he's talking about and has someone to take care of. Her grandmother, originally from Saint-Joseph, opened the first Reunion restaurant in Lyon, one of the oldest in the metropolis, in 1988. His father's restaurant, Ti Case Reunion, is a known address in the Croix-Rousse district. The catering activity corresponds to the new uses of out-of-home catering which have developed since the pandemic and the generalization of teleworking. The franchise project would consist of creating a network of caterers also doing groceries, in Lyon and its region to start, under the Ti Case La Réunion brand. A network of points of sale powered by a Reunionese cuisine “laboratory”. So it is the Croix-Rousse restaurant which currently provides takeaway meals., or to consume on site, the first unit combining caterer and grocery store opened in February. Under the direction of Hugo Fetter, it is located on the other bank of the Rhône, a stone's throw from one of Lyon's major shopping streets, the Vitton course. Au menu, fish curry, rougail Sausage, rougail boucané, massal beef, etc. Assessment of the first months of activity : the catering clientele is there, but the supply of Reunionese products for the grocery section is lacking.
Reunion products not found in mainland France
If no market research confirms this with precision, it is obvious that Reunionese restaurants in mainland France are demanding Reunionese products. However, these products are difficult to obtain.. Apart from a few major Reunion brands, supplies are episodic, and even these brands are subject to ruptures. There is no continuity in supplies. This unavailability, Patrick Fetter and his son Hugo experience it. The grocery section of Ti Case La Réunion is lacking products. Bourbon beer, limonade Cot (when available), curcuma Rama, Isautier and Charrette rums, make up the bulk of the current offering. “We would like to introduce small producers representative of Reunion culture, of its excellence and diversity, but getting their products is complicated and costs too much. We should be able to obtain them locally in mainland France.”, confides Patrick Fetter.
of the Red Cross.
The kitchen, start of the trip to Reunion
“Interest in Reunion Island, we live it every day”, testify Hugo and Patrick Fetter. A large part of their clientele is made up of people who have been to Reunion Island or who are planning to go there.. “We very often talk about Reunion Island with our customers at the end of the meal.. Reunion Island has the image of tasty cuisine, strong and fine at the same time. On the way there and back, when people talk about Reunion, they talk about his cooking. Tour operators come to see us to learn more about Reunionese gastronomy. Cuisine is a wonderful vector of cultural discovery. The objective of the Ti Case La Réunion project is also to raise awareness of Réunion. »
