Project Overview

Developing a New Business Concept

Le18 today is a Gourmet Hub located in the gastronomic heart of Barcelona, a world-renowned culinary capital. It distributes quality products across Europe and helps gourmet businesses grow by combining professional services with unique events.  

Challenge. 6 months ago Le18 was still a fuzzy idea with a lot of heart. Before launching, cofounders Patricia and Franck approached me to help them define their value proposition, business lines and develop a marketing strategy. They had a vague notion of what they wanted to accomplish, but needed help to get concrete about their actual offerings, target customers, pricing and business model.

Approach. We started with a newly renovated space, 20 years of experience in the gourmet distribution business, and loads of ideas. Lean Start-Up was the modus operandi. I organized the work in three phases and conducted market research, customer interviews, workshops, focus groups and rapid prototyping.

Results. Month 4 of operations and Le18 is buzzing.

• 20 events with over 1,000 participants
• 3 new services launched 
• 5 key clients acquired
• Revenues up 140%
• 6 artisanal products exported in 1,200 stores across 4 European countries
• Successfully rebranded and positioned Le18 as a hot startup in the gourmet and digital space.

Insights. The exploration phase led me to 3 key conclusions:

1. Customer Confusion. Small artisans are not target customers, but key partners.
2. Market Gap. Current sale targets were unrealistic.
3. Moving up the Value Chain. Core distribution business is not profitable. Consulting services are biggest revenue opportunity supported by events and distribution activities.