Alain Coumont: Intuitive Innovator

 
Blending artisan bakery, cafe and bistro within a stylishly rustic setting, Le Pain Quotidien has brought a fresh, lifestyle edge to the commodity-driven world of the bakery shop. Now with over 80 branches across 14 countries, this highly original concept was the brainchild of Belgian chef Alain Coumont. He talks about the inspiration for innovations such as each store’s centrepiece communal table and his views on organic produce and ethical purchasing. Interview by Bruce Whitehall.
 

 
Le Pain Quotidien has been hailed as one of the most innovative of current foodservice concepts. Where did the inspiration come from?
 
Coumont: It just somehow emerged. I started with the idea of a nice brasserie in Brussels. I had no specific business plan or even the notion that it would become a business. It was more of a hobby. I did not wear a business suit – just blue jeans and T-shirt. And I did not worry too much about the numbers or making a profit. However, I wanted to be able to offer good bread and finding a good source proved difficult. I concluded that the only way to get what I wanted was to bake it myself. So I bought a big (3 tonne) dedicated bread oven for €4,000. It was a bit crazy for just one restaurant but I concluded that I could maybe do a bit of wholesaling and maybe open a retail outlet.
 
What influenced your choice of decor and your use of a large communal table?
 
Coumont: I rented a very small shop premises in Brussels, at about €300 per month. With traditional-style bread in mind, I felt the premises should also reflect an old-fashioned, nostalgic theme, so that led to the rustic look of the walls and the shop-front. For furniture, I checked out a couple of antique stores, more like the flea market type of shops rather than high class places. I was attracted to a very large table and decided to try it. The first store, with the bakery in the basement, was so small that the single big table took up most of the space. The idea of sitting around a table and sharing bread influenced how we named the store. Basically, I wanted to capture a countryside feeling. At one point, I was a little afraid that some people might read Biblical or religious overtones into the Daily Bread name but there have never been any bothers. So all the basic elements were in place from day one. The communal table has become the symbol of our brand. We try to transmit the idea of mutual sharing to both our customers and staff.
 

 
What do you think about other people – even McDonald’s – now using communal tables?
 
Coumont: A lot of people use them but they often tend to be sufficient for maybe 8-10 people. Ours are so large that they are more like those used at a banquet. They work as the centrepiece of each restaurant. In our newer and larger places, like at the Royal Festival Hall in London, we have a variety of other seating but we always try and have as big a table as possible, ie 6 m long with 24-30 seats in a prominent position. That makes a very bold visual statement.
 

 
| 12 February 2008 | Bruce Whitehall |