La Cocotte Solidaire
La Cocotte Solidaire is a Nantes-based non-profit association running a participatory solidarity canteen where members cook and share meals on a pay-what-you-want basis, supplemented by workshops, corporate team-building, a mobile canteen service, and a co-produced podcast.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNantes, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What La Cocotte Solidaire does
La Cocotte Solidaire is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2018 and operational since September 2019, operating a participatory solidarity canteen on the Île de Versailles in Nantes. Members pay annual voluntary-contribution fees (minimum €1) under a prix libre (pay-what-you-want) model, then cook and share meals together Tuesday through Sunday at lunch and on Wednesday evenings from April to October, supplemented by weekly Café Cocotte gatherings, cooking workshops, concerts, and events. Beyond the core site, the association runs 'La Cocotte en Vadrouille', a mobile ephemeral canteen that brings cooking events to external venues for up to 8 cooks and 40 diners using recovered and local ingredients, and offers corporate 'Cohésion d'équipe' team-building experiences for regional businesses.
The organisation has no proprietary technology; operations are administered through the AssoConnect association-management platform and the public website. Service delivery relies on member participation, civic-service volunteers, and a curated network of at least nine named local organic suppliers and farms (including La Ruche qui dit Oui, La Ferme des Milles Bras, Ô Bocal, La Vie Claire, and Fromagerie Beillevaire). Content output includes a public recipe library ('Recettes de la Cocotte') and the co-produced documentary podcast 'Cocottez-vous?' distributed on YouTube, Spotify, and Deezer.
Revenue is generated from voluntary membership contributions, paid workshops and events, corporate team-building engagements, off-site catering, tax-deductible donations (60% deduction in France), and public funding from Nantes Métropole, CARSAT, MSA, and other French institutional partners. The customer base is distributed across three segments — local Nantes residents (primary), corporate teams (B2B events), and seniors participating in food-and-aging workshops — with the venue, programming, and pricing model explicitly designed to combat urban isolation and food waste rather than to maximise financial return.
La Cocotte Solidaire firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Cocotte Solidaire
- Legal name
- La Cocotte Solidaire
- Website
- https://lacocottesolidaire.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- La Cocotte Solidaire is a Nantes-based non-profit association running a participatory solidarity canteen where members cook and share meals on a pay-what-you-want basis, supplemented by workshops, corporate team-building, a mobile canteen service, and a co-produced podcast.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Cocotte Solidaire industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Canteen Services
- NAICS
- Caterers (72232), Community Food Services (624210), Special Food Services (7223)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Event Culinary Staffing & Back-of-House Services (Chefs, Servers, Bartenders) (THAHAKAN), Catering, Pantry & Food Service (On-site Refreshments/Events) (IMAIALAD)
Keywords
Where La Cocotte Solidaire is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nantes
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
La Cocotte Solidaire business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Annual Membership Fees: Members pay annual membership fees at a libre prix (free price/voluntary contribution) to access the cantine, cooking workshops, meals, and events. Membership is mandatory for participation and provides insurance coverage for members.
- Event and Workshop Participation: Revenue from various activities including cooking workshops, concerts, performances, team building events, and other organized gatherings. Participation typically requires prior reservation.
- Team Building Services: Corporate team cohesion events and activities for businesses, providing team building experiences around cooking and shared meals.
- Donations: Voluntary financial donations from supporters, eligible for 60% tax deduction in France.
- Ephemeral Cantine Services: Off-site catering service where La Cocotte Solidaire brings mobile kitchen and ingredients to clients' locations for cooking events. Maximum 8 cooks, 40 total participants, offered at libre prix.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Annual membership with unlimited access to cantine, cooking, and events |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
La Cocotte Solidaire product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Cocotte Solidaire operates a participatory solidarity canteen on Île de Versailles in Nantes, where members cook and share meals together on a pay-what-you-can (prix libre) basis. Beyond the core cantine service, the association delivers cooking workshops, cultural events and concerts, corporate team-building sessions, and a mobile cantine service ('Cocotte en vadrouille') that brings the cooking experience to external venues.
Product overview
La Cocotte Solidaire operates as a single unified community canteen offering rather than a multi-module platform. The core service is La Cantine Participative, a participatory dining experience where members cook and share meals together. Additional offerings include Café Cocotte (weekly social gatherings), La Cocotte en Vadrouille (mobile canteen service for external events), Événements et Ateliers (cooking workshops and events), Cohésion d'Équipe (corporate team-building), and Recettes de la Cocotte (recipe sharing). The Adhésion Annuelle (annual membership) is a prerequisite for accessing all services. The organization is built on community participation, local sourcing, and food waste reduction, operating on a pay-what-you-can pricing model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- La Cantine Participative Participatory solidarity canteen where members collectively cook and share meals. Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch, with Wednesday evening dinners from April to October. Requires prior reservation and annual membership.
- Adhésion Annuelle (Annual Membership) Mandatory annual membership required to participate in cooking, meals, workshops, and events. Priced on a pay-what-you-can model with a minimum of 1 euro, covering insurance and supporting association operations.
- Café Cocotte Casual social gathering held every Wednesday from 14h30 to 17h30, providing an open meeting space for members and visitors.
- La Cocotte en Vadrouille Mobile ephemeral canteen service that brings fresh seasonal ingredients, recovered unsold goods, kitchen equipment, and recipes to clients' locations for cooking events. Supports up to 8 cooks and 40 total participants, offered at prix libre.
- Événements et Ateliers (Events and Workshops) Recurring cooking workshops (up to three times per week), concerts, shows, and educational activities available to members with online or phone reservations.
- Cohésion d'Équipe (Corporate Team Building) Team-building and cohesion service for corporate groups, providing collaborative cooking and shared meal experiences in a convivial setting at the Île de Versailles venue.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fights social isolation by creating communal dining and cooking experiences accessible to all regardless of income through prix libre model
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use La Cocotte Solidaire
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
La Cocotte Solidaire technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
La Cocotte Solidaire partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ville de Nantes / Métropole de NantescoreThrough the '15 Lieux à réinventer' call for projects organized by the city of Nantes, La Cocotte Solidaire was selected and granted space on Île de Versailles. This founding partnership enabled the association to establish its physical location and begin operations in September 2019.
- Guillaume Le BouyerminorAgroecological market gardening supplier located at 44 Rte des coteaux, Divatte-sur-Loire. Sells at multiple local markets including Marché des américains (Tuesday), Marché de Talensac (Wednesday & Saturday), Marché de Zola (Thursday), and Marché de la Marrière (Friday).
- Ô BocalminorBio, bulk, local, zero-waste shop located at 10 bis Allée des Tanneurs. Provides sustainable packaging-free products for the cantine's ingredients.
- La Vie ClaireminorOrganic products store located at 14 rue Pitre Chevalier, Nantes. Supplies organic ingredients for cantine operations.
- La Ruche qui dit OuiminorFarmers market network operating throughout Nantes. Provides access to local producers and farm-fresh products for the cantine's food recovery and sourcing activities.
- La Ferme des Milles BrasminorAssociative, participatory and citizen farm (ferme associative, participative et citoyenne). Aligned with La Cocotte Solidaire's values of community engagement and local food systems.
- Fromagerie BeillevaireminorCheese shop represented at Marché de Talensac (Tuesday to Sunday). Supplies quality cheeses for cantine meals.
- La Ferme du SoleilminorOrganic market gardening farm at 57 rue de la levée des dons, Orvault. Sells through AMAP and at Marché de Talensac (Tuesday and Wednesday).
- Plume de courgetteminorOrganic egg farming and market gardening at 95 chemin du gai Nantais, La Chapelle-sur-Erdre. Sells at markets and through AMAP networks.
- La Laiterie NantaiseminorUrban dairy located at 5 All. Assia Djebar, supplying fresh dairy products for cantine operations.
- Le CompostminorDocumentary podcast production house that co-produced 'Cocottez-vous?', a podcast series exploring people's relationship with cooking. Distributed on YouTube, Spotify, and Deezer.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
La Cocotte Solidaire competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Atelier des Chefs: French cooking workshop chain offering hands-on cooking classes and corporate team-building events; directly comparable to La Cocotte Solidaire's workshop and team-building revenue lines.
- Cook'n With Class: Paris-based French cooking school offering recreational classes and corporate team-building experiences; directly comparable on cooking workshops and team-building monetization.
- Le Foodist: Paris cooking school offering hands-on classes and team-building events for groups and corporates; directly comparable on cooking workshop and B2B cohesion format.
- Le Recho: Community solidarity canteen concept in France offering participatory meals and food recovery; directly comparable to La Cocotte Solidaire's participatory canteen and solidarity-driven model.
Others
- Phénix: French food waste recovery company partnering with retailers and producers to redistribute surplus food; adjacent enabling player supporting the type of food recovery La Cocotte Solidaire performs locally.
- La Ruche qui dit Oui: French network connecting consumers directly with local farmers and producers; adjacent enabling player already in partnership with La Cocotte Solidaire for local sourcing and food recovery.
- Too Good To Go: App-based marketplace recovering unsold meals from restaurants and retailers to reduce food waste; thematically aligned with La Cocotte Solidaire's food recovery approach and adjacent enabling infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- Les Restos du Cœur: Large-scale French charity providing free meals and food assistance nationwide; broadly comparable as an established food solidarity operator in France, though operating at much greater scale.
- Secours Populaire Français: Large French charity providing food assistance and social support nationwide; broadly comparable as a major food solidarity incumbent with overlapping social mission.
Emerging players
- Café Joyeux: French inclusive restaurant chain employing people with intellectual disabilities; comparable as a mission-driven French food service concept with a strong social angle, though operating with a different inclusion thesis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
La Cocotte Solidaire social profiles
Digital presenceLa Cocotte Solidaire financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Cocotte Solidaire leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
La Cocotte Solidaire funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Cocotte Solidaire M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about La Cocotte Solidaire
What does La Cocotte Solidaire do?
La Cocotte Solidaire operates a participatory solidarity canteen on Île de Versailles in Nantes, where members cook and share meals together on a pay-what-you-can (prix libre) basis. Beyond the core cantine service, the association delivers cooking workshops, cultural events and concerts, corporate team-building sessions, and a mobile cantine service ('Cocotte en vadrouille') that brings the cooking experience to external venues.
Is La Cocotte Solidaire a public or private company?
La Cocotte Solidaire is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was La Cocotte Solidaire founded?
La Cocotte Solidaire was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is La Cocotte Solidaire based?
La Cocotte Solidaire is headquartered in Nantes, France, in the Europe region.
How does La Cocotte Solidaire make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Annual Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event and Workshop Participation, team Building Services, donations and ephemeral Cantine Services.
Who are La Cocotte Solidaire's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Atelier des Chefs, Cook'n With Class, Le Foodist and Le Recho. Others are Phénix, La Ruche qui dit Oui and Too Good To Go. Broad incumbents are Les Restos du Cœur and Secours Populaire Français. Café Joyeux is listed as an emerging player.
Does La Cocotte Solidaire have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Cocotte Solidaire.
What industry is La Cocotte Solidaire in?
La Cocotte Solidaire's product category is Community Canteen Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAB, Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties), with a secondary code of THAHAKAN, Event Culinary Staffing & Back-of-House Services (Chefs, Servers, Bartenders). Its NAICS code is 72232 and its SIC code is 5810.