La Gourmandine

What La Gourmandine does

La Gourmandine is a family-owned traditional French bakery founded in June 2010 by Fabien and Lisanne Moreau, both originally from France. The company operates five retail locations across Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Lawrenceville (flagship, 2010), Mt Lebanon (2014), Hazelwood (centralized production plus storefront, 2017), Downtown (cafe with full espresso bar, 2021), and Oakland (2024). Products span viennoiserie (croissants, danishes, pain au chocolat, almond croissants), patisserie (éclairs, tarts, opera cake, choux), boulangerie (baguettes, sourdough, brioche), custom celebration cakes (Soleil, Opera, Fraisier, Marquise), lunch specials (baguette sandwiches, quiche, croissant sandwiches), and beverages. The bakery's technical foundation rests on traditional French techniques learned by founder Fabien Moreau at the Lenôtre Culinary Institute in Paris.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model centered on same-day pickup across its five storefronts, supplemented by third-party delivery partnerships with DoorDash and Grubhub and a digital e-gift card program powered by Square. Special orders for custom cakes and catering require a 48-hour lead time. Customer segments include local Pittsburgh residents seeking authentic French baked goods (primary), corporate and event catering clients (secondary), and special occasion customers ordering custom cakes (secondary). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company generates revenue through per-item retail transactions, special-order premiums, gift card sales, and delivery transaction fees collected through aggregator platforms.

As a privately held, family-controlled business with no institutional investment, La Gourmandine has grown organically through measured geographic expansion — roughly one new location every three to four years — and incremental product line extensions. The company competes on the authenticity of its French technique, brand recognition as Pittsburgh's first traditional French bakery, and operational consistency from centralized production. There are no disclosed revenue figures, no external funding, no proprietary digital channels beyond third-party delivery and Square-based gift cards, and no AI or technology platform beyond standard e-commerce and payment processing integrations. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, and the business remains concentrated entirely within the Pittsburgh metropolitan market.

Name

La Gourmandine

Legal name

La Gourmandine

Website

https://lagourmandinebakery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Gourmandine is a family-owned traditional French bakery operating five retail locations across Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2010 by Fabien and Lisanne Moreau, it offers viennoiserie, patisserie, artisan breads, custom cakes, lunch items, and espresso beverages using techniques from the Lenôtre Culinary Institute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal French Bakery

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Patisseries & Viennoiserie (French-Style) (THAFAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH)

Keywords

• French bakery
• Artisan breads
• Pastries and viennoiserie
• Breakfast catering
• Custom celebration cakes

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Bakery Sales: Direct in-store and online ordering for same-day pickup at 5 Pittsburgh locations. Products include viennoiserie, patisserie, boulangerie, cakes, lunch specials, and beverages.
2. Special Orders: Custom cakes, breakfast catering, and other made-to-order items for special occasions. 48-hour lead time required. Orders can only be edited or cancelled 48 hours prior to pick up.
3. Third-Party Delivery: Partnership with DoorDash and Grubhub for delivery services, capturing order revenue through these platforms.
4. Gift Cards: E-gift cards sold through Squareup.com, driving pre-paid revenue and customer acquisition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

La Gourmandine is a traditional French bakery and pastry shop operating five retail storefronts across Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It produces and sells viennoiserie (croissants, danishes), patisserie (eclairs, tarts, choux), boulangerie (baguettes, sourdough), custom celebration cakes, lunch specials, and beverages, with a full espresso bar at the Downtown location. The company also accepts special orders with a 48-hour lead time and offers breakfast catering services for corporate and event customers.

Product overview

La Gourmandine is a French bakery and pastry shop operating 5 locations in Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville, Mt Lebanon, Hazelwood, Downtown, and Oakland). The company offers a unified retail bakery operation with Viennoiserie (breakfast pastries), Patisserie (pastries and sweets), Cakes (custom and specialty), Boulangerie (artisan breads), Lunch Specials (sandwiches), and Breakfast Catering services. Custom orders are handled through the Special Orders system with a 48-hour lead time. The Downtown location includes a full espresso bar. Products are available for same-day pick-up at any of the 5 locations, with third-party delivery integration through DoorDash and Grubhub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Viennoiserie Breakfast pastries including croissants, danishes, pain au chocolat, almond croissants, and other French-style morning baked goods available for same-day pick-up at all 5 Pittsburgh locations.
• Patisserie
• Cakes
• Boulangerie
• Lunch Specials
• Special Orders
• Breakfast Catering
• Beverages
• E-Gift Cards

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoorDash is a third-party delivery platform partnership allowing La Gourmandine to offer delivery services to customers who prefer doorstep delivery over in-store pickup.
• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrubhub is a third-party delivery platform partnership extending La Gourmandine's reach to delivery customers in the Pittsburgh area.
• SquareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSquare provides the e-gift card platform infrastructure for La Gourmandine, enabling digital gift card sales through Squareup.com.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maison Kayser: French boulangerie chain founded by a third-generation baker, specializing in artisan breads, viennoiserie, patisserie, and cafe service; directly comparable on authentic French-style production and product mix.
• Tatte Bakery & Café: French-Mediterranean inspired bakery-cafe chain with sit-down service, pastries, viennoiserie, coffee, and lunch fare; closest direct comparability in product mix, price point, and daypart strategy.
• Porto's Bakery: Specialty bakery chain producing European-style pastries, cakes, and breads; comparable as a multi-location artisan retail bakery with a strong brand and celebration cake channel.
• Balthazar Bakery: French bakery operation associated with the Balthazar restaurant brand, producing traditional breads, viennoiserie, and pastries; comparable on authentic French product mix and high-end retail positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Au Bon Pain: Cafe-bakery chain offering pastries, sandwiches, soups, and coffee in urban and travel locations; overlaps with La Gourmandine's savory lunch specials and viennoiserie in Pittsburgh's commercial corridors.
• La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with a sit-down pastry and breakfast food program; comparable in the cafe-with-baked-goods daypart that La Gourmandine targets, especially at the Downtown location.
• Panera Bread: National bakery-cafe chain offering sandwiches, soups, pastries, and coffee with a fast-casual service model; overlaps with La Gourmandine's lunch specials, viennoiserie, and beverages in Pittsburgh locations.

Emerging players

• Levain Bakery: Iconic NYC bakery famous for cookies and baked goods, expanding into a multi-unit retail chain; comparable in scaling a single-bakery-origin brand into a regional retail bakery footprint.
• The Model Bakery: Artisan bakery in Napa known for English muffins and breads, with limited multi-unit expansion; comparable in the small-batch artisan positioning and retail storefront model.

Regional players

• Pittsburgh specialty caterers (e.g., Common Plea Catering): Regional Pittsburgh-based breakfast and corporate catering competitors; overlapping with La Gourmandine's breakfast catering channel within the same metropolitan market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lagourmandinebakery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Gourmandine