L'Hôtellerie Restauration

Cellar price wine at les Grands Buffets

This commercial policy valid both by the bottle and by the glass has led to a 50% rise in wine sales, by contributing to an increased margin per cover.

Louis Privat owner of the restaurant Grands Buffets de Narbonne, is not short of ideas, introducing the concept of self service formulas combined with high levels of quality, offering a " wall of roasting " spits with a huge choice of grills, adorn his terrace with d'Hervé Di Rosa sculptures or…offer wines at the producer price, albeit served as a bottle or by the glass.

“ In principle we do not lose money, notes Louis Privat, as the producer gives us a cellar price; therefore we apply an equivalent margin, with an identical price to the producer ".

Everyone wins

This means that the customer can sometimes find wines at the table which are less expensive than at his wine seller. The result of this policy is surprising: sales of wines have increased from 40 to 50 % at les Grands Buffets. " And it is not just that clients are drinking more, but they are choosing superior bottles which are more expensive " explains Louis Privat.

In a wine list dedicated to Languedoc-Roussillon producers, the restaurateur has noted a strong demand for wines such as La Forge de Gérard Bertrand (sold at 35 €), or l'Exégèse de Château Meunier (32 €). However, this strategy also introduces extremely good wines at the low end of the range such as Grand Opéra from the Rocbère cellars (Corbières) or Cuvée Mythique du Val d'Orbieu (at 8 €). “ This way everyone wins ”, assures Louis Privat : " Obviously, the customers but also producers who can make their wines better known ". Les Grands Buffets also benefits, as this pricing policy enables them to increase the margin per cover, among other advantages.

And to strengthen his partnership with producers, the restaurant lets them bring their own wines without charging corkage.

Francis MATEO