We recently connected with XAVIER DEGARDIN and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, XAVIER thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk about innovation. What’s the most innovative thing you’ve done in your career?
this project is the most innovative thing, I’ve done in my career. Without a corporate structure to give you money, resources, knowledge, client
I built a lot of great businesses in my career but always behind me many things
I’m sure that it is my most powerful experience and I wish everyone to experience this one day…
XAVIER, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
The first mobile “Crêperie” in WA state In France, the art of the Crêpe is sacred!
Xavier Degardin is the Founder of the mobile crêperie “J&Y”. J stands for Jeanine and Y for Yvette, the first names of his two grand-mothers who passed him the passion of cooking. He learned so much first-hand from them, from techniques to recipes, that he became a true “Cordon Bleu”.
With an entrepreneurial spirit and constant success. Xavier has worked for 27 years in the IT industry, including 12 years managing and developing business structures for corporate companies on international markets.
Passionate and creative, he enjoys building, developing and leading businesses and relationships.
Xavier moved in Kirkland in 2018 with his family. Aware of the growing success of the food truck industry and the strong demand from the local population, Xavier decided to jump in to live from his passion and created J&Y, the first Crêpes Cart in the area!
To ensure a high quality level, he went back to the oldest and most prestigious crêpe school in France to be properly trained and certified as a “Crêpes Master” (a chef specialized in crêpes).
The branded cartA concept with many advantages:
The bike cart is perfectly in line with this trend and this new way of doing business:
Less carbon emission than a food truck;
Use of renewable energy.
Maneuverability: Highly convenient to move between locations, easy to park and doesn’t require a large space.
Manufactured using food-grade materials for countertops and other parts where food may be stored and prepared.
It comes equipped with a solar panel and an electrical system kit, maximizing its performance and energy efficiency, and a gas-powered for the double crepe maker.
Sustainability is a must go
To go farther, J&Y aims at selecting:
Local suppliers;
Recyclable materials;
Sustainable products;
Glass containers to reduce single use plastic waste.
French “Maître crêpier” diploma
Public Health Seattle and king County certification
Food suppliers:
Local farms
Certified Fresh organic food
Efficient POS System (Point of sale system) charged by solar panel:
A Digital payment system directly via apps/website simplifying and improving business operations
Health : No cash, only credit or debit cards
Security : No money inside the cart
Safety : A better concentration to monitor the cooking process
Sweet & Savory crêpes
we can elaborate any type of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) according to your desires
Added values for
Innovation & Originality
Such a concept of mobile crêperie doesn’t exist yet in the Seattle area. xxxx will be a precursor!
Elegant and sophisticated
This a perfect fit for your xxx events in order to offer a festive and dynamic atmosphere and to introduce local French specialties in perfect harmony with your delicious wines
Everyone loves French food, especially crépes and elegant savory “galettes” which is considered one of the most prestigious meal in Brittany.
Green business support
As safety, vitality and inclusivity of our community is our top priority, J&Y Crêperie as a familly business, with its sustainable food cart and products, fits perfectly with your goals as highly nutritious, locally produced food.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
First of all, I would like to start the introduction with the fact that resilience starts by starting from scratch a new profession that I did not know before. I worked for 28 years in sales and management in international tech companies.
what i know very well is how to launch a business, position it and attract customers. that’s my strength.
I had to go back to France to train for this new business of catering, I went to Brittany, the country of crepes, to learn the best techniques and the most efficient way possible.
I already had in mind this principle of proximity with the customers which was amplified with the covid when I saw the restaurants closing one after the other. I had to continue to deliver food while being mobile and agile and as close as possible to the potential customers.
I had to face many problems related to the routing of my food cart through Europe with customs, delays, and no support from anyone.
the difficulties related to this industry in the US and in Wa regarding the heath part for the certifications of my cart, obtaining licenses and in parallel find the axes of business development that I had to review because the initial are not possible on Wa state I had to review the approach and canvass potential customers thanks to my experience I targeted customers that can give me immediate high visibility on the market and to develop my income quickly
It took me 6 months of training, the arrival of my cart the creation of business, obtaining certification, permits and the axes of development of business and especially a lot of time on the web to snoop and dissect each site to find and achieve my goals
I didn’t know where to go but with hard work, methodology, perseverance and the will to succeed and a bit of luck you always reach your goals
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Before launching this business I asked myself what Americans like about the French, not business, but food, luxury and the French art of living. I conceptualized my project around these axes, and I positioned myself on this sector of the food with simple things, fast to execute and accessible for all financially.
I also designed my cart on the theme of Parisian chic
now the main thing is to make quality (products, dishes and service)
my accent as well as my French touch are there for something and also to work with his heart and especially to be smart
after that, it’s also the business axis, the meetings that make you accelerate your success and this is growing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jandymobilecreperie.com/
- Instagram: jandymobilecreperie
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/j-y-mobile-creperie/?viewAsMember=true
Image Credits
I’m not sure what do you mean by image credits, i would like to provide it but…