This chef, honored as the best pastry chef of the year, protagonist on TV with the French Master Pastry Chef, writer, makes a career in legendary restaurants and patisseries and works at Maison Fauchon, a gourmet epicerie in Paris, where he has a creative intuition, un éclair de génie , in fact: the flash of genius are pastries in hundreds of variations, on a cylindrical base of choux pastry.
«Eclair is an inexhaustible source of creations, in taste and design» explains Adam, who not only made 210 recipes and almost 1.5 million pieces in 2012, but also conceived a format of a single-product venue, the sweet and savory éclair, to which chouglacés are added(round bases with ice cream), tartlets, biscuits, madeleine … The pastry shop is called L’Éclair de Génie , and has become a company with about fifty employees, a turnover of 5 million euros (2015) and 26 stores in the world (Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Moscow, Vancouver). A chain in diffusion with the national licensing system.
The eclair arrives in Italy
Italy could not miss: the first opening in Milan takes place in 2016. Today there are already three clubs (Brera, Navigli, Magenta) and a corner, in Rinascente. Andrea Sampietro, director of L’Éclair de Génie Italia explains the success of the products and the creator: «Christophe Adam revolutionized a classic of French pastry, in terms of taste, colors and image, without distorting it. Then, the quality of the raw materials, the aesthetics … The eclairs are made every day in the laboratory in Corso di Porta Ticinese. The chef, Valerio Cambieri, has followed a long training session with Adam ».
How is the chain organized in Italy?
«The brand belongs to a company that has an exclusive affiliate affiliation contract throughout the country. Italian stores are owned by him. And it will manage the development of the network, with possible openings in every city with a tourist flow ».
How much does it cost to start a pastry shop?
«Starting the Éclair de Génie Italia took over 6 months of work and important investments. The staff was trained with the Parisian parent company. The equipment is partly speci fi c for our product. The investments vary according to the size of the store, the restructuring, the selection of products, the entry fee for the franchise … ».
Prices?
«From 2 to 4.50 euros each. Tastes change according to the season and the news created by Christophe or the chef from Milan ».
What earnings can an Eclair develop?
«The turnover of the stores is growing, they have not yet fully developed their potential. In the premises, then, show cooking is organized. And the product can be customized for personal and business needs ».