Le Petit Carré Gourmand

What Le Petit Carré Gourmand does

Le Petit Carré Gourmand (formerly Le Petit Carré de Chocolat) is a French artisanal chocolate and confectionery company operating through the legal entity PENTOGONA SARL (RCS Paris 820 539 682), founded in 2016 by Maître Artisan Jean-Jacques Etchepare and Marie Etchepare. The company produces single-origin grand cru chocolates sourced from Tanzania, Mexico, Peru, and the Dominican Republic using a slow-roasting process to preserve aromatic complexity, with the portfolio later expanded to include gianduja with Piedmont hazelnuts, fruit pastes, AOP-butter caramels, organic butter sablés, and Provence nougat. Production is based at a workshop in Palaiseau (Île-de-France) under a small, family-rooted operation of approximately 11 employees, with the founder's Maître Artisan certification providing formal recognition of craftsmanship mastery and trademarks protecting both legacy and current brand identities.

The product offering is structured around 5g chocolate squares, bars, and tablets in multiple cacao percentages (71% Bio Peru, 75% Tanzania, 85% Bio Peru, 42% milk, organic gianduja), packaged into gift boxes, seasonal assortments (Advent calendars, Christmas ornaments, Easter packaging), and customizable formats. A dedicated Packaging Quadri line supports full-color custom printing on FSC-certified cardstock plus hot-stamping in gold, silver, or copper on recycled cardboard, enabling B2B clients to convert the products into branded corporate communications.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market with three revenue streams: direct-to-consumer e-commerce with 24H tracked delivery across France (free from €40), corporate/B2B gifting with personalized packaging (free shipping from €550 HT), and wholesale distribution through 100+ retail points of sale plus advertising-object resellers. Pricing is unit-based (B2C TTC at 20% VAT, B2B HT), serving individual chocolate connoisseurs, corporate gift buyers, event organizers, and retail/distribution partners across France. The marketing approach combines a 73+ article blog, multi-platform social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram), email newsletters, and event presence at Salon du Chocolat de Paris. In 2024, Nicolas Pace acquired the company from the founding family and rebranded it to Le Petit Carré Gourmand, continuing expansion into broader gourmet gifting and confectionery.

Name

Le Petit Carré Gourmand

Legal name

PENTOGONA SARL

Website

https://lepetitcarredechocolat.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Petit Carré Gourmand is a French artisanal chocolate and confectionery company producing single-origin grand cru chocolates, gianduja, and gourmet gift assortments for individual consumers, corporate gifting clients, and 100+ retail partners across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Confectionery

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Cookies & Crackers (2052), Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG), Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN), Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery (CRAHAIAK)

Keywords

• Artisanal chocolate products
• Single-origin confectionery
• Corporate gift chocolate
• French chocolate maker
• Premium confectionery manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Palaiseau

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2C Chocolate Product Sales: Direct sales of artisanal chocolates, gianduja, bonbons, fruit pastes, caramels, biscuits, and nougats through e-commerce and retail partners. One-time purchase model.
2. B2B Corporate Gifting: Sales of personalized chocolate gift boxes and packaging to businesses for client gifts, employee gifts, events, and promotional items. Includes custom branding options.
3. Wholesale/Retail Distribution: Supply of chocolates to retail stores and advertising object resellers across France. Franco de port at €550 HT for B2B orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Le Petit Carré Gourmand is a French artisanal chocolate and confectionery manufacturer that produces grand cru single-origin chocolates, gianduja, caramels, and fruit pastes. The company sells directly to consumers via its e-commerce site and through more than 100 retail points of sale in France, and supplies businesses with corporate gifting solutions and branded advertising objects under the legal entity PENTOGONA SARL.

Product overview

Le Petit Carré Gourmand (formerly Le Petit Carré de Chocolat) is an artisan French chocolate and confectionery company producing a portfolio of grand cru chocolates, specialty confections, and seasonal gifts. The core offering centers on single-origin dark chocolate squares in high-cacao percentages (71%, 75%, 85%) sourced from Tanzania and Peru, a 42% milk chocolate, and a Gianduja range with Piedmont hazelnuts, all available in multiple formats (5g squares, 10g bars, 30g mini tablets, 90g tablets). The confectionery line extends to fruit pastes, AOP butter caramels, Bio butter sablés, and Provence nougat with almonds and honey. For gifting occasions, the company offers boxed assortments, seasonal Christmas (Advent calendars, ornaments, gift boxes) and Easter lines, and a dedicated B2B enterprise gifting division providing customizable packaging (boxes, cards, pouches, cubes, papillotes, pyramids) with full-color printing and hot-stamping, transforming food products into personalized brand communication media. The company rebranded from 'Le Petit Carré de Chocolat' to 'Le Petit Carré Gourmand' in 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grand Cru Single-Origin Chocolates
• Gianduja
• Artisanal Caramels
• Fruit Pastes (Pâtes de Fruits)
• Corporate Chocolate Gifts
• Branded Advertising Objects (Objets Publicitaires)

Quantifiable outcome

• Available in 100+ retail points of sale across France

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Thés DammannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partnership with Dammann teas for tasting events and blog content. Associated in blog article about 'Associations de Saveurs' combining chocolates with teas and cheese.
• Les Nouveaux FromagersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partnership with Les Nouveaux Fromagers for flavor pairing events. Associated in blog article about unexpected chocolate-cheese pairings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maison Weiss: Historic French chocolate manufacturer (Saint-Étienne) producing premium tablets and confectionery with strong retail distribution. Comparable in manufacturing heritage and French mass-premium positioning.
• Valrhona: French premium chocolate maker using single-origin cacao and couvertures, with strong B2B chef and patisserie distribution. Direct competitor in the upstream artisan chocolate supply chain.
• Chocolat Bonnat: Family-owned Voiron-based chocolatier producing single-origin grand cru chocolate bars since the 19th century. Closest analog on small-batch, single-origin philosophy and direct retail.
• Bovetti Chocolats: French artisanal chocolate maker with strong retail and food-service distribution across France. Comparable in product breadth (tablets, gianduja-style spreads, gift boxes) and French retail penetration.
• Debauve & Gallais: Historic Parisian chocolate manufacturer (1800) with premium positioning and gift box focus. Comparable on premium packaging, B2B gifting, and Parisian high-end retail.
• François Pralus: French artisan chocolate maker famous for his single-origin pyramide des tropiques bars. Comparable in single-origin prioritization and bean-to-bar craft.
• Chocolaterie Puyricard: Provence-based artisan chocolatier specializing in premium gift boxes and corporate gifting. Closely comparable on B2B corporate gifting, custom packaging, and seasonal assortment strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Lindt & Sprüngli: Global premium chocolate maker with strong French market presence (Lindt Master Chocolatiers). Represents the dominant premium incumbent, useful as a benchmark for category scale and competitive pressure.

Emerging players

• Plaq Chocolat: Paris-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker emphasizing single-origin sourcing. Comparable on craft, single-origin sourcing, and Paris-based premium positioning.
• Alléosse: Parisian artisan chocolatier focused on single-origin tablets and bespoke gift boxes. Comparable on craft positioning and B2C gifting, though with smaller distribution footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/petitcarrechoco
• Facebookfacebook.com/lepetitcarredechocolat
• Instagraminstagram.com/lepetitcarredechocolat
• Pinterestfr.pinterest.com/petitcarrechoco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pentogona

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 Le Petit Carré Gourmand