The creation

 

Nicolas Valanchon - FL Restaurant

 

It all began when Nicolas Valanchon opened FL restaurant in Paris, accommodating up to 24 people with limited table space. The tables were custom-made and designed to be quite small in order to optimise the area in the restaurant. Nicolas came up with an innovative solution to save space on the tables and to improve the guests’ dining experience.


The traditional bread basket takes up a lot of room on the table. Nicolas decided to replace this with the Pikape.


After several prototypes were designed, Nicolas’ father, Jacques Valanchon, manufactured 16 PICs for the opening of the restaurant in December 2010.


Caught in the “whirlwind” of starting a business, the idea of bringing the product to market did not immediately come to Nicolas. It was the customers’ enthusiasm that led him to file for a patent in partnership with his parents, his sister Caroline and brother-in-law Dimitri Marchand. After that, the Pikape business was born.

 

Lépine Award


Pic à pains Pikape

100 Pikapes were sold at the Lepine Competition at the Paris Fair in 2011, which earned them a silver medal.


Several contacts were made at the Fair with individuals and restaurant owners. Everybody was talking about the Pikape! Besides personal or professional use, it is also a very good gift idea for various occasions.