Lecavalier Petrone: art in bars

Reader warning: if you have a sweet tooth, reading this article could lead you straight to the Pointe-Saint-Charles workshop or to the brand new online store .

Lecavalier Petrone is the company imagined by two accomplices betting on the tailor-made niche to create gourmet confections. If, at first glance, these confections are surprising, they are just as decadent. They have also stolen the show in several events already. It is not uncommon for customers to drive more than an hour to pick up a box of chocolates in store. It was with Loïse that we had the chance to learn more about Lecavalier Petrone, its history, its challenges and its aspirations.

The meeting of Loïse and Chloé: an inspiring destiny

It was in the context of work – in a chocolate factory in Longueuil – that the two entrepreneurs met. Loïse was hired there for customer service, Chloé as chocolate maker. Together, they developed the pastry offer, taking advantage of the fact that the bosses were not very present to manage daily life. “We quickly saw that we worked well together,” confided Loïse.

A photographer approached them for a photo session, during which their complicity was confirmed at the same time as the product concepts. After working for two years in events, bringing together the corporate sector and weddings by targeting the tailor-made niche appeared to be an interesting opportunity to seize according to Loïse.

Products that are victims of their own success

Although the personalized aspect of the product helps to minimize losses, there was no question of having a storefront at the beginning to facilitate its management. The chocolates were only sold in a café and a shop in Boucherville for more than a year, then came the distribution in various points of sale .

After a year of requests from customers, the entrepreneurs chose to set up their workshop-boutique in Pointe-Saint-Charles, rue Centre. The location was quite strategic, both in terms of its proximity to corporate customers and its accessibility by highways and bridges for the individual consumer.

Impregnated by the effervescence of the district, they now work in premises four times larger, on the same street. The sale of chocolates in the workshop has also gained in popularity in the last year with the efforts of press relations. It is also the only place where consumers can choose the flavor of each of their chocolates.

Among Lecavalier Petrone's typical clientele, there are as many people who want to have fun spontaneously as regular customers. Some have even admitted to having only offered the dozens of boxes of chocolates purchased without having tasted them… This shows the confidence that these aesthetic and unusual confections provide! On social networks, Loïse notes a predominance of the feminine, but also smiles at the reading of the youngest discussing their favorite flavor. The innovation in flavors comes above all from Chloé, who keeps abreast of what is happening around and in the restaurants. Restaurant owners also keep his chocolates in their sights.

A constantly evolving gourmet offer

“It is especially the chocolates that are popular. They are like works of art”, admits the one who describes the work of her business partner as a mixture between a visual artist and a chemist. The pandemic has of course brought about an upheaval in the company's entrepreneurial activity. However, people have a huge appetite for indulging and giving gifts and so have answered the call, and not just at Easter.

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Pastry was until very recently reserved for major events. The cakes are now available to individuals on order.

With the temporary reduction of weddings and corporate events, entrepreneurs are currently focusing on direct sales in the workshop (it's here for their opening hours) as well as at their various points of sale . The press relations company with which they do business finds them great visibility opportunities and requests for fall corporate events have already been received.

Concerned about social and environmental involvement

It is difficult to make choices as the company receives so many sponsorship requests. Choices are made based on quantity and time of year. The Pointe-Saint-Charles petanque tournament, for the benefit of an organization, is an event they support every year. Entrepreneurship brings the constant challenge of finding this balance between work and social life. Definitely, success does not come without effort and the company has taken up a lot of space in the lives of the two accomplices.

Other than reducing waste through make-to-order production, the choice to eliminate all plastics was made by the company. “We reuse boxes even if it's not always pretty, encourage people to come with their own containers and compost from the start,” lists the entrepreneur.

Their next aspirations

As the company has demonstrated in the past, it will continue to evolve and adapt to the market. As the new online store was made available quickly, its improvement is in progress. In the medium term, the development of new points of sale – up to forty – is envisaged. Also, entrepreneurs will seek to overcome the logistical challenge in order to meet demand outside the greater metropolitan area. Previously tested shipping solutions were unconvincing with the condition of the product upon arrival.

And how did you decide on your name, Lecavalier Petrone ?

After multiple surveys and brainstorming sessions, the choice of the company's name was made under the pressure of having a name to obtain a tax number. The two entrepreneurs agreed that they couldn't get enough of their surname combination and so it was. The result is rather original, isn't it?

Reviewed by Marie-Pascale