BARTARTINE KEEPS IT FRESH
marketing manager, bartartine speaks with HN about the brand’s remarkable growth, the elements behind this success, the niche it has carved for itself and the plan in moving forward
Since launch, bartartine has generated tremendous buzz and grew to eight new branches in five years, so what are some of the elements attributed to this success?
We have always gone to great lengths to use fresh and high quality ingredients, as well as maintain consistency of all our offerings across our eight branches. Another key element that makes a big difference is affordability. All these elements have allowed the bartartine concept to grow organically and in so doing, hold great appeal to the healthy and value-driven urban customers. And in keeping with the latest and most significant F&B trends, we after listening closely to what our customers expect, have released our brand new ‘healthier’ menu offerings. The brand has carved, throughout the years, a large segment of trendy, healthy-conscience consumers who expect high quality dishes in an upscale environment where ‘fresh’ is the operative word. Our social media is also a constant driving force for the brand as we use Facebook and Instagram to keep our loyal consumers in the loop in relation to the latest brand developments. Additionally, we receive and take into consideration valuable feedback from our customers to constantly improve and innovate our product variety.
What are some of the practices bartartine exercises when it comes to keeping its customers in the know about the origin and source of its offerings?
We offer handmade, natural products locally sourced from the most trustworthy suppliers, prepared in a real kitchen not a factory; food that shuns obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives; fresh bread and viennoiserie made from scratch in our bakery thrice a day. In addition, our hands-on food safety team conducts weekly audits across our branches to ensure that the latest measures are well implemented in both the back and front of the house. Our customers demand high-quality, interesting food options that bring people together. Hopefully, adults and kids alike view us as making accessible, simple and delicious food that is consistent and innovative, as well as free of preservatives. To reinforce our core values, we have our ‘freshness’, ‘happiness’ and ‘friendship’ messages peppered throughout the store and on our packaging. Some of these read: “We all deserve a slice of happiness”, “A slice of life”, “beautiful on the outside gorgeous on the inside”, “bringing happiness to every bite”, “All we knead is love”, “Live love loaf”, “nothing beats freshly baked bread” and “crafting delicious moments every day”.
What were some of the challenges thus far and what are some of the brand’s future plans?
The biggest challenge is to keep up with the ever-rising cost inflation while maintaining two of our most sacred values, namely, value for money and quality. As for future plans, bartartine witnessed steady growth following the first branch opening in Mar Mikhael in 2013 and gained great popularity especially with the millennials. This growth added to our customers’ emotional attachment to the brand and fueled our ambition to expand by unveiling a new experience under bartartine bake & brew, our eighth branch, which opened in August 2018 in ABC Dbayeh. This new “grab & enjoy” concept offers customers a faster, more casual, yet exciting and personalized experience where freshly brewed coffee and ready to enjoy goodies are at the center. We definitely aim at opening more branches in the near future and possibly explore franchise opportunities after better establishing ourselves throughout Lebanon.