What Hippopotamus does

Hippopotamus is a French full-service steakhouse restaurant chain founded in 1968, positioning itself as 'Le steakhouse à la française' with a core product of quality French-origin beef cooked using a proprietary charcoal-braise technique over PEFC-certified French charcoal. The chain offers a broad cut selection (entrecôte, faux-filet, T-bone, Châteaubriand, côte de bœuf) alongside a customizable children's menu, seasonal concepts (e.g., La Guinguette summer terrace), and approximately 20% plant-based references. Operational standards are supported by 1,800+ annual product analyses and 400+ hygiene audits conducted with an independent laboratory.

The business operates through a hybrid model combining company-owned succursales and franchised locations across metropolitan France (excluding Corsica), under the umbrella of parent group Bertrand Casual Food. Franchise recruitment is managed through Bertrand Franchise Services, while Hippo Exploitation (Société en nom collectif) serves as the primary operating entity. Digital infrastructure includes the La Bonne App multi-brand loyalty platform (shared with five other Bertrand restaurant brands: Au Bureau, Joyo, Léon, Le Paradis du Fruit, Volfoni) integrating at-table QR payment via Sunday, online reservations via ZenChef, Click & Collect, and home delivery via Uber Direct. Marketing is primarily organic, led by Instagram content, the loyalty app, and franchise recruitment channels.

Revenue is generated from in-restaurant food and beverage sales (dine-in, Click & Collect, and delivery) and franchise fees/royalties. The company emphasizes ESG commitments, including 100% French-origin beef, halving food waste versus the ADEME baseline since 2019, 12% energy reduction between 2019-2022, and the Agoterra partnership targeting 2,800 tonnes of CO2 reduction over five years. Hippopotamus serves French families, casual diners, and loyalty program members, with a workforce of 1,001-5,000 employees, 94% on permanent contracts, and notable inclusion of employees with disabilities (90% of workforce) and apprentices (6.5% per restaurant).

Name

Hippopotamus

Legal name

Hippo Exploitation

Website

https://hippopotamus.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hippopotamus is a 57-year-old French steakhouse chain operating dine-in, Click & Collect, and delivery restaurants across metropolitan France, specializing in French-origin beef cooked over charcoal. It serves families and casual diners through company-owned and franchised units under parent Bertrand Casual Food.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

Keywords

• French steakhouse dining
• Charcoal braised beef
• Family restaurant chain
• Restaurant franchise operations
• Loyalty rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

La Défense

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant food and beverage sales: Primary revenue stream from selling food and beverages directly to consumers at Hippopotamus restaurant locations, including dine-in, Click & Collect, and delivery orders.
2. Franchise fees and royalties: Revenue from franchised locations where independent operators pay fees to use the Hippopotamus brand, operating model, and support services under the Bertrand Franchise group.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hippopotamus operates a chain of French-style steakhouses ("Le Steakhouse à la Française") founded in 1968, serving premium cuts of French-origin beef — including entrecôte, Côte de bœuf, faux-filet, onglet, T-Bone, and Châteaubriand — prepared using a proprietary charcoal braise cooking technique with PEFC-certified French charcoal. The chain combines company-owned and franchised dine-in restaurants across metropolitan France with Click & Collect, home delivery via Uber Direct, an integrated children's menu (Menu Enfant avec Hippopochette), and the multi-brand La Bonne App loyalty program shared across six Bertrand restaurant brands.

Product overview

Hippopotamus operates as a unified restaurant brand (Le Steakhouse à la Française) offering dine-in, takeaway (Click & Collect), and delivery services. The core product is the physical restaurant experience specializing in French-origin beef cooked over charcoal/braise. This core is augmented by a mobile super-app, La Bonne App, which serves as the unified loyalty, ordering, reservation, and payment platform shared across six restaurant chains. Supporting add-on modules include Sunday at-table payment, ZenChef online reservations, and Uber Direct delivery. The family-oriented offering includes a customizable children's menu with the Hippopochette surprise gift. The brand positions around quality French beef, savoir-faire craftsmanship (57 years of expertise), family-friendly dining, and environmental commitments including waste reduction and French sourcing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Bonne App: Multi-brand loyalty program operated across Hippopotamus and partner restaurants (Au Bureau, Joyo, Léon, Le Paradis du Fruit, Volfoni) allowing customers to earn points and redeem rewards.
• La Guinguette Hippopotamus
• Hippopochette
• Popotin

Products and services

• Hippopotamus Restaurant (Le Steakhouse à la Française) Core dine-in restaurant offering of the Hippopotamus brand: French-style steakhouse serving a selection of premium French-origin beef cuts (entrecôte, Côte de bœuf, faux-filet, onglet, T-Bone, Châteaubriand) cooked using the proprietary charcoal braise method. Operated as company-owned succursales and independent franchises across metropolitan France. Target customers are individual diners, families, and small groups seeking quality French beef in a convivial setting.
• La Bonne App Loyalty Program Multi-brand loyalty program and mobile application (iOS and Android) enabling customers to accumulate points on dining spend, redeem points for monetary discount vouchers (€7–€50), make table reservations, browse menus, place Click & Collect orders, and pay at-table via QR code. Members receive a welcome offer of 25 points, a 25-point birthday reward, and exclusive promotional offers. Operated by Bertrand Franchise Services and shared across six Bertrand-owned restaurant brands including Hippopotamus.
• Menu Enfant avec Hippopochette Children's menu offering for guests under 10 years old, customizable with choice of main, side, dessert, and drink. Includes the Hippopochette surprise gift box containing a game, activity booklet, and colored pencils, tied to the Popotin mascot character. Targeted at families dining with children in Hippopotamus restaurants.
• Click & Collect Takeaway Service Takeaway ordering service for individual customers to place orders remotely via the La Bonne App or hippopotamus.fr website and collect in-restaurant. Available across metropolitan France excluding Corsica.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,800+ product analyses and 400+ hygiene audits conducted annually with independent laboratory
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AgoterracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Agoterra to support the agroecological transition of French livestock farms. This initiative aims to positively impact biodiversity, air and water quality, while reducing and capturing the equivalent of 2,800 tonnes of CO₂ over 5 years.
• HasbrominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to include classic Hasbro games (QUI-EST-CE?, TRIVIAL PURSUIT, TWISTER, PUISSANCE 4) as surprise items in the Hippopochette children's meal gift boxes.
• Le Rire MédecinminorOthersCharitable association receiving donations from Hippopotamus. The company has donated 1.5 euros per since 2020 and supported 120K to help bring smiles to sick children.
• GymlibminorOthersPartnership with Gymlib to provide employees with easy access to sports activities and gym facilities, supporting work-life balance.
• Sunday SAScoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment service provider enabling table-side payment through QR code scanning, integrated into the loyalty program for point collection during payment.
• ZenChef SAScoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline restaurant reservation platform integrated into the Hippopotamus website, allowing customers to book tables and optionally join the loyalty program during reservation.
• Au Bureau, Joyo, Léon, Le Paradis du Fruit, VolfonicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner restaurant brands under the La Bonne App loyalty program. Members can earn and redeem points across all participating brands including Hippopotamus, creating a multi-brand loyalty ecosystem.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Buffalo Grill: France's largest steakhouse chain and the most direct competitor to Hippopotamus, with a similar casual full-service steakhouse model, beef-centric menu, and broad national footprint.
• Léon de Bruxelles: Belgian mussels-and-beer casual-dining chain that is part of the same Bertrand Group as Hippopotamus and shares the La Bonne App loyalty platform, making it a sister brand and direct portfolio peer.
• Poivre Rouge: French casual-dining chain with a grill-and-steakhouse proposition, recently absorbed by Buffalo Grill; a direct peer in the French mid-market full-service steak category.
• Courtepaille: Long-established French casual-dining chain specializing in grilled meats and rotisserie, directly comparable to Hippopotamus on full-service steakhouse positioning and provincial French footprint.
• Au Bureau: French pub-and-grill casual-dining chain that is a sister brand under the Bertrand Group and shares the La Bonne App loyalty ecosystem with Hippopotamus, making it a directly comparable group peer.
• Bistrot Régent: French casual steakhouse/bistro chain offering a meat-focused menu at accessible price points; directly competes with Hippopotamus for the same family and casual-dining customer in France.
• La Pataterie: French casual-dining chain centered on hearty meat-and-potato menus; comparable to Hippopotamus on casual full-service positioning, mid-market pricing, and family dining use case.

Broad incumbents

• Outback Steakhouse: International steakhouse brand operating in France under a broader global portfolio; competes with Hippopotamus in the casual steakhouse segment but brings significantly larger international scale and brand recognition.
• Flunch: Established French family casual-dining chain with broad menu, kids' offerings, and value positioning; overlaps with Hippopotamus on the family-segment casual-dining occasion, though with a broader self-service format.

Emerging players

• Big Mamma: Fast-growing French-Italian casual-dining group with a strong digital, social-media, and loyalty-driven customer engagement model; competes with Hippopotamus for casual-dining occasions among younger French urban diners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/hippopotamus_steakhouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hippopotamus