Eight years ago, Delphine Plisson, an epicurean at heart, launched her grocery store in Paris. Dive into a business where the products are French and artisanal.
It’s a super chic supermarket. The fruit and vegetable department with its wooden crates looks like a pretty market, the grocery store is perfectly lit, even the disorder seems Hollywood. No detail is left to chance. We are at Maison Plisson, place du Marché-Saint-Honoré, in Paris. Here, you can have lunch or do your shopping. Or both. No dedicated space for restaurant customers, the principle of these shops (there is another on Boulevard Beaumarchais) is to eat in the middle of the grocery store.
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“Some customers ask us for a roast while they are having lunch,” describes Delphine Plisson, hostess. Shopping is always a chore. Doing them that way is more enjoyable. ” The other advantage of the process is to limit waste. Each evening, the chef of the restaurant goes through the fresh section with the manager and, together, they choose the products which will no longer be attractive enough for customers the next day … but which may very well end up in a pie or a base of sauce.
The brand works with 700 local producers and receives 25 samples every week
For the former fashion founder, skimping on quality is not an option. Among the 6,000 references, 90% are French and artisanal (which excludes spices, coffees and teas, not yet cultivated in France). When launching her house eight years ago, Delphine Plisson spent months surveying our regions to find rare gems. “I wanted to group together everything that tastes good.” She now works with 700 local producers and receives 25 samples every week. “We have very little turnover. It is rare that customers do not join. What does not work is often what is carried by the names of well-known chefs but which has no added value. ” And if, on the shelf, Plisson appears on certain labels, it is always associated with that of the manufacturer. Out of the question for the house to appropriate the merits of another.
Obviously, all of this comes at a cost. Shopping at Plisson doubles the price of the Carrefour or Franprix basket. “Everyone can feed themselves here, contrary to what one might think. It’s expensive compared to mass distribution, but we don’t do the same job. Our price-quality ratio on the costs is unbeatable for the quality of the products we offer. »Another difference with the classic supermarket: user-friendliness. Behind its haughty storefront, the place is rather warm. Employees know customers, don’t hesitate to advise those who seem lost. Three-star service, but no frills. “Everyone should feel at home here. I grew up in Créteil, it is unthinkable for me to exclude anyone. “
6,000 references 90% are French and artisanal
At the time of the transport strikes in Paris in 2019, the regulars asked to be able to take their meals to save time. This gave Delphine Plisson an idea: to create smaller places that would offer hot dishes, sandwiches or salads to eat on the go. Petit Plisson was born. There are now two in the capital. In addition to a branch at the Tuileries and one at the Samaritaine. And for non-Parisians, don’t worry, the site can be delivered throughout France. So everyone can benefit from it.
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