When software engineer Gautier Coiffard, 34, told his mother he was leaving his job to open a bakery in Brooklyn, New York, she said, “That’s the last thing we needed… a baker. other from France.”
That was before L’Appartement 4F, the bakery he owned with wife Ashley Coiffard, became an instant hit. The bakery, which opened in May, immediately turned in monthly profits, and now brings in up to $128,000 in revenue per month, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
Ashley, 33, told CNBC Make It: “We were in line from the moment it opened for hours until the last croissant was sold out.
Gautier and Ashley Coiffard opened the L’Appartement 4F store in May. In June, the bakery brought in $128,000.
Gautier and Ashley Coiffard
The business is named after its humble origins. In early 2020, Gautier – a native of Grenoble, southeastern France – was craving authentic French croissants, so he started making pastries for himself and the couple’s friends.
At the time, both Gautier and Ashley were doing traditional 9-to-5 jobs: He brought in $105,000 a year as a software engineer, and she was working at a company. mortgage loans while studying for a nursing degree.
Quitting those jobs earlier this year to start a company wasn’t easy. Today, Ashley still works as a school nurse and manages the bakery’s marketing, social media and collaborations. Here’s how she and Gautier make their profitable bakery work:
A suitable place for French pastry
Gautier’s early croissants didn’t exactly taste like a French delicacy.
“The first croissant he gave me tasted like a Pillsbury Doughboy croissant, nothing special,” says Ashley. “It was dense and dense … certainly not as light and airy as it is now.”
With trial and error, the croissants gradually started to look and taste better. Gautier said he perfected his recipe in February 2020, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit a few weeks later, the couple decided to wait before selling the croissants.
In June 2020, they posted their first menu on Facebook and Instagram. Friends and followers were immediately interested, but the income was modest: $150 a week, Ashley said.
However, in the following months, rumors of the pastry spread. The business began to take over their house.
Ashley said: “Slowly, the apartment started to become a bakery. “We have flour that covers everything we have. We have to have a storage unit so we can put our stuff in a storage unit… because we need it. store pies and flour and sugar.”
Gautier, middle, and Ashley, right, at the bakery opening in May. Ashley said investors have contacted each other, but the couple still own 100% of the business. They wanted to focus on building the vision of the bakery and its community.
Mudari Creative
In April 2021, the couple made $10,000. Wanting to expand, they signed a 10-year lease in June 2021 for a store in the city’s Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. A Kickstarter campaign raised them $62,000 in funding to outfit the store. They also took out a $49,000 bank loan, $72,000 in a neighbor loan, and added to their credit cards.
Today, the storefront features floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers and vintage furniture – as would any French bakery.
French Butter and other expenses
Gautier proves that the difference between his first and current croissant is practice. French ingredients also help.
In fact, they’re one of the biggest expenses of the business: The couple spends about $37,000 a month on ingredients and other food-related expenses. French butter costs $20 plus shipping for a two-pound note, compared to $15 for US butter.
“The butter and chocolate come from France, and are definitely more expensive if we buy from here… but I really think it adds to the flavor and shouldn’t be changed,” says Gautier.
Gautier roll croissants for the bakery’s mini croissant cereal, which sells for $50 a box. L’Appartement 4F also sells croissants of all sizes for $4 to $8 and sandwiches for $5.50 to $12.
Gautier and Ashley Coiffard
Rents are up, too: Retail space in Brooklyn averages up to $3,200 per month, according to rental listing website Storefront. Between rent and salaries for their 20 employees, the couple pay $43,423 in fixed monthly expenses, plus $3,539 in monthly credit card fees.
“We were naive about what it really took to open a business,” says Ashley. “At the time, we thought we were crazy and delusional – but I think we needed to be delusional to start our own bakery.”
However, L’Appartement 4F is still profitable. In June, the bakery’s highest earnings month to date, the couple took home $43,958, regularly selling off 1,500 to 2,000 cupcakes a day. The couple wants to open a second location – but only if the time is right.
“We want to grow very slowly and organically,” says Ashley. “We want to make sure everything we do is sustainable and serves the community that built us.”
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