In this establishment in Nancy you can eat in 10 different restaurants

In the city center of Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle), the restaurant offering is large and continues to expand, like the recent openings of the Poulpo restaurant at the central market or Bistrot Georgette, near the cathedral.

However, it can sometimes be difficult to find a restaurant that everyone likes when you’re out with friends. With its concept, the Food’Lab establishment offers an interesting solution: 10 restaurants, offering varied cuisines, gathered in the same place.

Lorraine News met his co-founder, Raphaël Roques.

10 restaurants grouped in one place

Open since April 2023 at 61 avenue du 20ᵉ Corps, Food’Lab offers a unique service in Nancy. In a single location, the customer can order food from 10 different restaurants. “The idea was born in Lyon in 2019 and is based on the idea of ​​dark kitchen since each restaurant has its own kitchen. Initially, we only did takeaway and delivery but since 2022, it has been possible to eat on site and we have opened several establishments in France,” explains Raphaël Roques.

Concretely, the customer orders his meal at a terminal and can freely choose from open restaurants. For example, he can order a burger in a first restaurant and his dessert in a second. Once the order is validated, he goes to find a pager from each store. When it rings, the order is ready.

If it is possible to eat in or take away, Food’Lab also has its own free delivery service which delivers up to 3.5 km around the establishment.

We chose to settle in Nancy because it is a dynamic student city and the premises are very well located. We want to offer a varied, inexpensive and qualitative offer. We also want to bring the place to life. We will thus broadcast the Euro matches.

New restaurants to discover

Since its opening, the establishment has enriched its offering. Customers can now enjoy specialties from around the world : Italian (pizzas, focaccias, pastas), Lebanese, Asian (sushis, bobuns, etc.) and also burgers, bagels and brunches.

“Three new restaurants have just opened: NBK Naanerie (Indian), Momo Tibétain and Afrotaste, a well-known African restaurant in Nancy,” adds Raphaël Roques. In July, a restaurant offering South American and Mexican cuisine will open. We will then be complete.”

Advantages for restaurateurs

For restaurateurs, joining Food’Lab has advantages, as the co-founder explains: “There is no entry fee but simply a security deposit. This only commits them for one year so it’s quite flexible and they can start very quickly because the kitchens are already equipped, the dishes provided and they don’t need waiters in the room.”

However, this concept also has disadvantages: “Restaurateurs do not own the business and you also have to be ready to work in a collective place,” he indicates.

In the future, the company hopes to be able to establish itself in other cities in the Grand Est, notably Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) and Metz (Moselle).

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