Café Lacoste: A true “gourmet proposition” in the heart of Paris

After testing several pop-up concepts, the Crocodile brand marked a strategic milestone in its diversification on Thursday. By partnering with the Giraudi restaurant group, Lacoste has inaugurated its first permanent café on a prestigious Parisian avenue.

© LACOSTE

Much more than just a sportswear label. By inaugurating its first “Café Lacoste” on Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the heart of Paris's Golden Triangle, the iconic reptile brand is investing in hospitality. Following the success of its Monaco pop-up, its private club, and hotel collaborations, the focus is now on “a gourmet proposition, conceived as an extension” of the brand.

With a surface area of 100 square meters and 65 seats, the establishment adopts a deliberately controlled format: specialty coffees, simple dishes (club sandwiches, fresh salads), and signature desserts. The offering prioritizes clarity and replicability over culinary innovation – a consistent choice for a concept designed to be potentially duplicated in other major capitals.

“This partnership brings together the exacting standards of our gastronomic expertise and the timeless allure of the Crocodile, in a space where pleasure and design meet,” stated Riccardo Giraudi, CEO of the eponymous group and a major player in international dining (creator of Beefbar).

The “Eatertainment” Strategy

This model allows Lacoste to maintain control over its image (artistic direction, branding) while delegating daily management and profitability to a specialist. The menu, supervised by Thierry Paludetto, Executive Chef of the Giraudi Group, has been calibrated to meet a standardized yet premium urban demand, optimized for delivery and takeaway.

This initiative is part of an unmistakable trend within the luxury and high-end sectors (Jacquemus, Dior, Louis Vuitton), which is now emerging in broader spheres: transforming the point of sale into a lifestyle space to counter the erosion of physical store traffic and stimulate the customer experience.

This encompasses the entire dimension of “eatertainment.” As international expert Joseph Pine II, co-author of The Experience Economy, likes to remind us: the simplest way to launch this is to add a café, as it engages the five senses and encourages customers to spend more time with you.

From the Crocodile to Fine Foods

Beyond dining, this venue serves as a commercial laboratory for the brand's new product lines. Café Lacoste integrates a retail space dedicated to fine foods and tableware (porcelain, household linens).

This strategy pursues two financial objectives: increasing the average basket size and purchase frequency via products more accessible than apparel – the “small gift.” The goal is to extend the brand's presence into the consumer's home, thereby strengthening loyalty.

It is a strategy confirmed by Eric Vallat, CEO of Lacoste. “We are naturally extending our universe into a shared living space.” According to him, this opening expresses the “Lacoste art de vivre” through experiences anchored in everyday life. In other words, positioning itself as a global lifestyle brand.

While this first Parisian location serves as a European showcase, should it prove commercially successful, the concept could be rapidly deployed in key major cities where the brand already operates flagships.