Just as childhood has its unforgettable joys, it carries eternal regrets. The author of his lines will always bear the pain of not having celebrated his birthday at Buffalo Grill when he was a brat, with the Song of the Little Indians, a true institution of peripheral France. Come on, a little tour of the track: “Happy birthday little Indians, happy birthday little cowboys, come sing and dance with all your friends”.
When choosing a new design (a third of the 340 restaurants will have finished being renovated by the end of the year), the brand has of course saved the song. Just like the Indian totem in the parking lot, the horns on the roof and the legendary free starter salad. But beyond these cult elements, Buffalo Grill seeks to move away from this universe Little House on the Prairie which once made him famous. Spaghetti Westerns are like us, they have aged well. And in the playgrounds, children play more Naruto or Avengers than cowboys and Indians.
Modern and realistic America
So no more saloons, make way for the great outdoors. In the Buffalo Grill in Château-Thierry in Aisne, where the brand recently organized its press point, the decoration now consists of posters of the Grand Canyon, photos of American lakes or the legendary Route 66. Even if it means betting on the horizon, the restaurant also has many more large windows and openings to the outside than the version old schoolwhich could quickly sound a little dark. And since no birthday was celebrated during our meal (definitely, when it doesn't), the playlist was humming Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars.
Modernized America then, but America nonetheless. Alexandre Morel Robert, marketing director of the brand, is convinced: “The United States is always a dream”. More than half (55%) of French people want to visit the country, according to a 2023 Ifop survey, making it the leading destination outside Europe. Second more important statistic in his eyes: after a makeover, a Buffalo restaurant “experiences double-digit growth”.
A unique power of fascination
“The United States retains a unique power of fascination,” confirms Jean-Eric Branaa, lecturer specializing in American society at Paris-2 University. And what does it matter for the expert if Donald Trump, the war in Iraq in 2003, the massive releases of CO2 and others have damaged the image of Uncle Sam. “On the contrary, the fact that these news stories are so commented on shows the “Interest is still extremely keen for the country,” said the expert. Demonstration around the Donald Trump case: “Yes, it is clearly not unanimous in France. But who on the street knows the name of the Japanese head of state? » – another country with an imagination strongly rooted in France, by the way.
Tokyo, Seoul and other new hubs of soft power “are not to the detriment of the United States. Different cultural movements can come together in the same country,” explains Jean-Eric Branaa. And if there really was competition, America would be out of competition: “The overwhelming majority of international stars come from here,” recalls the expert. The figures speak for themselves: 22 of the 25 most followed personalities in the world on social networks are Americans. Thank you Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar for preventing hegemony. Clear conclusion for the academic: “yes, America clearly still sells in France. »
Marketing “too neutral” to become iconic
Are wide open spaces the key to success? “This is the universal and central theme that has come back in our opinion studies,” praises Alexandre Morel Robert. Pierre-Louis Desprez, specialist in brand imagination at the Kaos firm, is more skeptical: “It's a bit of weak and neutral marketing,” he thinks. We have entered the era of “no wave”. Indeed, cowboys and Indians are no longer in the picture, in addition to posing ethical problems. » But should we give it up anyway?
Quick reminder of the brand cycle for the expert: “First, you are new, trendy and popular, which is what Buffalo Grill was in its beginning. Then you get old, dated, and a little nerdy. » At the end of the tunnel, if you survive this crossing of the desert, you await the status Ancien. “You are then cult and untouchable. » Let us cite Levis jeans, Hermes, the Bic pen… “However, they also have a somewhat dated imagery”, illustrates Pierre-Louis Desprez. The Levis jeans logo also refers to the cowboy world without it shocking anyone. And Hermes actually displays a carriage.
A priority, really?
Could Buffalo Grill do the same? The director of Kaos is skeptical: “It’s a little too neutral to become a legend. It's purely a transaction: yes, the meat is good and yes, we get what we pay for. But there is no conviction to be had when you go to eat at Buffalo. That's a bit of the problem with these franchises. »
Bernard Boutboul, president of the Gira firm, continues: “There is a disenchantment with table service chains and a growing disinterest in grilled meat in this type of chain. Those under 40 are rather anti-chain and are more looking for unique and atypical restaurants than a model duplicated hundreds of times across the country. »
Of course, the chain has other arguments to make than its design. We don't remain the French's favorite table service brand * just with pretty posters on the wall, any more than we serve 25 million meals a year with a nice birthday song. “Almost 40% of French people go to Buffalo Grill,” says Alexandre Morel Robert. The dishes are effective, the doses generous and the prices – cocktails or dishes – defy the competition. Perhaps the key argument for its success in the midst of inflation more than the debates on teepees vs. the Grand Canyon. The fact remains that at a time when restaurant chains are going through a major crisis – Flunch, la Pataterie, Courtepaille, etc. – Pierre-Louis Desprez reminds us: “You don't change turnover by changing the wallpaper. »
* Survey by the Franchise Observatory of 224 on “French Favorite Brand” in the “Table Catering” category. The brand has won it continuously since 2015.
