Let’s bigmamaïse the future of dining

I bigmamaïse

You bigmamaïse

He bigmamaïses

We bigmamaïse...

To fully understand an article, it’s usually best to be crystal clear from the very beginning. And truth be told, with a title like this, clarity is not what we’re serving first. But apparently, sometimes you can create clarity by first sowing confusion. Taking a slightly offbeat approach can pique the interest of curious readers. Still, at this point, you’d be perfectly justified in wondering where I’m going with this…

Conjugating the verb bigmamaïser is, of course, a nod to the Big Mamma group and their model — a model that arguably deserves a verb in the French dictionary (remember: boboïser made it into Le Petit Robert, after all). Whether or not you think it’s warranted, Big Mamma’s rise definitely earned its place in the lexicon, having disrupted traditional restaurant codes and invented a new model by tweaking existing systems. From the very first outlet on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine — even from the first construction signs — they made it clear they were here to shake things up and play with trends that traditional restaurateurs hadn’t yet embraced (often for lack of time or ideas).

Now, I don’t have enough grey hair to pose as a wise old philosopher of the food world (although I’m not far off), capable of decoding market evolutions or theorizing all the effects Big Mamma triggered. But just as a humble observer, I believe we can identify, in the brilliance of their approach, a new model worth replicating elsewhere. This isn’t meant to be the origin story or a full chronicle of two brilliant entrepreneurs and their project (there’ll surely be a trendy podcast for that someday — something like the 3-hour gem with Laurent Gourcuff of Paris Society, here).

Though I fear when that podcast does happen, it’ll be hosted by someone from the business world, not from within our beloved foodservice chain of value.

I don’t know the founders personally and likely never will. But I’ve done the rounds, tested the concepts, and spent a fair amount of money (if you total all my visits), enough to extract some useful insights. That’s the goal of this article: to describe in detail what’s innovative about Big Mamma, the context of its rise, and to hopefully provide at least one reader (not from my family — none of them work in restaurants) with something worth learning.

Some might argue that what Big Mamma did wasn’t radically innovative — not if you’d been paying attention to what was happening in Anglo-Saxon markets. But back then (less than 10 years ago!), what Big Mamma did blended various influences in ways that actually outdid the clean execution of British or American models — and that was hugely disruptive for the French scene.

Big Mamma landed and sparked a bold movement, at the intersection of several key observations:

The rise of restaurant groups led by brilliant entrepreneurs

These groups managed to industrialize high-quality food while maintaining soul and identity across multiple outlets — meeting the expectations of a demanding, food-savvy audience that’s ready to let go when everything’s just right.

Of course, France didn’t wait for Big Mamma to see successful restaurant groups emerge. Some great visionaries, mostly from the legendary Auvergne scene (like Gérard Joulie’s group, the Costes family, the Bertrand group…), had been mastering the art for decades. Their strength? Managing multiple venues while staying true to the hallmarks of French brasserie excellence. Today, many others have followed suit, balancing the key pillars of restaurant success to deliver a top-notch experience both on and off the plate. A great roundup of the best is available via Zepros Distributeurs RHD in their special issue here.

At this stage, Big Mamma hadn’t invented anything new — except perhaps the commitment to never create a brand, but rather a space, an atmosphere, a living place where the customer experience would reign supreme. They launched concepts — similar in spirit but distinct enough in name and vibe that you’d want to try them all.

👉 Rule #1 to conjugate the verb “bigmamaïser”: build a group unified by shared values and a sense of theatricality in every service.

Executing a food concept just right, and becoming a top ambassador for it

And it’s even better when the theme is trendy — or timeless, like Italian food.

Italian cuisine is hard to pin down. In France, we’re pizza addicts — and yet the Italian food scene has seen a serious shift in the last decade: an upgrade in quality, a growing focus on ingredients, and standout players popping up everywhere. A big part of Italian food’s appeal is its elegant simplicity. A good focaccia dipped in creamy stracciatella doesn’t need frills — just some fresh basil, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt.

Happiness is simple when you’re a diner.

Italy brings sophistication with ease. But as French consumers, we’re still relatively green when it comes to Italian food knowledge: nearly 300 varieties of pasta, over 450 cheeses, more than 300 DOC wines, and even emerging pizza types like pinsa romana — now having its moment. (If you’re in Paris, check out Maison Pinsa.)

You could write an entire article on each ingredient: coffee, balsamic vinegar, pesto, bread types (crostini, bruschetta, grissini, ciabatta…), Italian charcuterie (prosciutto, pancetta, bresaola…), truffles, pistachios, lemons (preferably from Sicily). Beyond whetting your appetite, this highlights the enormous potential of Italian cuisine — something beautifully showcased on this brilliant website that catalogs world cuisines.

Enhancing ingredients and premiumizing them has become a foundational strategy for modern Italian food concepts.

Italian suppliers — clearly, fully Italian — have been instrumental in this evolution. Brands like Carniato, @SCAL, @Mamaffiore, and my friends at MFS - Mediterranean Food Solutions, among others, have helped restaurants of all kinds add some “squadra azzura” to their menus.

I don’t think Big Mamma was the first to kick off this premiumization — in fact, Pizza Chic in Saint-Germain was one of the earliest to serve high-end pizzas with quality ingredients and a standout setting. But the movement has grown — and Big Mamma undeniably helped.

This premiumization also took the form of:

• High-end presentation and decor

• The rise of spritz culture (everyone jumped on that wagon)

• Clean, authentic pizza dough with Insta-friendly looks

• Huge Neapolitan ovens as part of the décor

• Open kitchens showcasing the action

• Early days with no reservations, creating that FOMO-inducing queue

• Digitized menus, ordering, and payment

• Immersive lighting and music atmospheres

And for Big Mamma (and others who followed), an all-Italian team in the kitchen and on the floor, further fueling the feeling of escapism.

We’ve clearly witnessed a transformation of Italian dining: fewer “Chez Gino” joints and more Pizza Chics. Big Mamma has absolutely driven that change. So yes, conjugating bigmamaïser makes perfect sense — if only to highlight the ability to take raw ingredients, elevate them with intelligence, and deliver an experience that goes far beyond just great taste.

Old model

Pizzeria 2.0

A Signature That Sets Them Apart

The founders' autodidact status has proven to be a real asset, allowing them to bring a sharp, unfiltered perspective to elements that might seem like mere details — but that actually lie at the heart of their success. This keen eye for layout and spatial design has been one of their greatest strengths in launching each new venue. Every location is infused with its own soul, sometimes offering different menus, but always with a design and ambiance that reflect the neighborhood and the type of clientele.

To truly strike the right balance between various customer experiences, it’s essential to have explored a wide range of inspiring places. That’s where this article's little moment of shameless self-promotion comes in — a quick reminder of the amazing food tours I organize with my great partner, Elan CHD. 😉

By immersing yourself in other food destinations, you gain the insight needed to shape your own offering. Cities like London, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Milan, Naples, and Budapest are goldmines for discovering concepts that cleverly — or radically — reimagine the dining experience.

A restaurant’s signature can emerge from the setting, or from the mindset. And in Big Mamma’s case, you can feel that desire to create customer satisfaction by constantly stepping into the guest’s shoes — imagining bold, unique experiences that break away from tradition.

Case in point: this beef carpaccio taking up nearly the entire table. (Photo quality... let's say debatable.)

Completing the Signature: Pricing That Includes, Not Excludes

To truly stand out, a restaurant also needs a pricing signature — one that makes the experience accessible rather than frustrating. At Big Mamma, that meant, from day one, offering pizzas for under €10. A quality dish at an entry-level price, serving as a gateway to the rest of the experience. In any restaurant, guests should choose to spend more — not feel forced to. That freedom creates a sense of trust and makes the concept more democratic.

Big Mamma’s very first customers were students, who felt like they were dining in an upscale Italian trattoria while spending less than ten euros. And yet, paradoxically, that low price point often led to bigger checks. Even if the pizza was under €10, I dare anyone to leave such a unique, premium-yet-accessible spot without having ordered at least a second dish, a decadent dessert, and — let’s be honest — a cocktail.

In the current inflation-driven economic crisis, fast casual dining has understood this well: multiple price points allow consumers to choose their experience. In full-service dining, the dish of the day still keeps that spirit alive — though it seems to be fading lately, with some places removing entry-level wine options from the menu. A quick reminder: removing the under-€30 bottle from an average restaurant’s dinner menu is a sure way to kill the vibe. Creating joy means curating an experience — not just through food, but through everything around it.

On the menu, customers should feel both intrigued and excited — prompted to ask questions and engage with a smiling, knowledgeable staff. All of it happening in a background of clattering pans and Italian banter floating out of an open kitchen. To truly bigmamaïse, the performance must feel like a unique play, staged just for them.

One Last (Essential) Ingredient: Humanity

That magic also hinges on something rare but essential — a healthy dose of humanity, starting with how teams are treated.

For years, traditional hospitality training has produced exceptional professionals — schooled in the rigor of French haute cuisine. But those training systems, not unlike military bootcamps, often framed the employer-employee relationship around rigid hierarchies: built on recognition, admiration, respect, or even debt. You’re never in doubt about who’s in charge — and that can make things move quickly… but rarely last long.

This dynamic often creates a toxic kind of excellence, fueled by distance and pressure. That’s something the industry needs to leave behind. Yes, this model still exists — but it must evolve, along with the roles and the people within them.

And no — we’re not talking about salaries here. Of course pay matters. But the effort required and the pressure endured can’t be balanced out by an extra hundred euros at the end of the month. It takes much more to make this a sustainable, desirable profession again.

A young front-of-house staff member managed the old-school way.

Without Getting Too Philosophical…

The pandemic accelerated a generational shift — younger workers no longer want to take on overly demanding jobs or force themselves, even temporarily, to stay in roles with excessive pressure. Add to that a culture of consumption amplified by social media, and you get employees who are less engaged and less willing to go the extra mile — all while employers still apply methods taught in hospitality schools since the days of Brillat-Savarin.

Today, even though the business models have evolved, restaurateurs are still facing major challenges — especially when it comes to hiring. Yes, part of it is economic. But it’s also because the work atmosphere can be too heavy, too rigid. Kitchens are often staffed with underqualified teams, sometimes with limited French language skills — which at least means they don’t always pick up on the sarcasm when the boss is displeased.

A new wave of restaurateurs is putting employee well-being at the center of their strategy — because losing a team member comes at a real cost: time, resources, and morale.

Making team unity the cornerstone of your restaurant’s success might once have seemed like a detail — but it’s now clearly a key factor in driving revenue. Just like in any company, a happy employee resonates with the mission and genuinely wants to contribute to the business’s success.

Same young guy. New job. Now smiling, efficient, and thriving.(For those who only look at the pictures.)

Workplace Well-Being, Execution, and the Art of “Bigmamaïser”

When employees feel good at work, they become warm, welcoming servers — which once again encourages customers to treat themselves, and ultimately, to spend more. It’s also a key ingredient for flawless execution, which today is essential to customer satisfaction. A dining experience should unfold without a single misstep — or, if an error does occur, with a perfect recovery handled gracefully by the staff.

This kind of execution — often associated with military-style management — is equally possible when staff are genuinely on board, engaged in respecting the processes required the moment the curtain rises. In Big Mamma’s ceremonial approach, the team starts each service with a collective check-in, a sort of backstage ritual before stepping “on stage.”

To bigmamaïse is to make people want to work in restaurants again — by creating a win-win environment where everyone benefits. It also means making a real commitment. Big Mamma is among the rare restaurant groups in France to be B Corp certified — a demanding process with strict requirements across social, human, and environmental dimensions.

As I’ve seen in other B Corp-aligned concepts across Europe: “they didn’t have to do it.” A standard CSR strategy would’ve been more than enough to build a strong reputation. But going the full purist route goes well beyond what’s currently required to be considered a “good student.”

Grasping Opportunities, Pushing Boundaries

If you’ve read this far, you might be thinking: “Well, Big Mamma had it easy, with financial backing from the get-go.” That might be seen as an opportunity.

But that’s not the point I’m trying to make — I’ve seen plenty of restaurant projects, funded with millions, that failed fast or never even opened.

In this industry, you’re quickly brought back to reality by daily struggles and operational chaos — it levels the playing field, much like life, where even the ultra-wealthy face the same family or health problems as everyone else.

By opportunity, I mean the ability to make choices — to stay resilient and responsive. Those two traits are essential if you want to bigmamaïse properly. Knowing how to project yourself into a space that just became available. For Big Mamma, I believe there was clearly a “before and after” Felicità (just like for Al Bano and Romina Power 😄).

But you also have to be bold enough to dive into such colossal ventures. Restaurateurs need vision — and sometimes, the courage to adjust or even scrap that vision entirely when new opportunities arise. That might mean launching adjacent businesses or developing radically different concepts — a strategy long embraced by major American restaurant groups, who are often willing to despecialize to seize the right opportunity.

So, How Do You Conjugate Bigmamaïser?

Here are just a few of the conjugation rules for the verb bigmamaïser. There are surely others I’ve missed. I’m still not sure how to conjugate it in the future tense — but what’s certain is that many other brilliant concepts are walking the same path. For reference, check out La Nouvelle Garde or the new wave of bouillons.

There are many other verbs we could invent to capture the principles that performance demands today. But one thing’s for sure: Big Mamma sits at the intersection of all these realities. And so far, its geographic expansion — and the arrival of a private equity fund — hasn’t derailed the model.

As always, I’m totally open to feedback. We’ll catch up in the fall… to talk pricing.

Until then: I tan, you tan, he tans, we tan... 😎