What Refugee Food does

Refugee Food (legal entity: Food Sweet Food) is a French non-profit association founded in 2016 and recognized as being in the public interest (reconnue d'intérêt général), headquartered at 5 rue des Arbustes in Paris's 14th arrondissement. The association exists to facilitate the professional integration of refugees into the restaurant and catering industry and to provide food aid to vulnerable populations, operating a hybrid social-enterprise model that combines three Paris restaurants (La Résidence at Ground Control, La Cantine des Arbustes, and La Cantine de la Cité de Refuge within the Fondation Armée du Salut shelter), a corporate catering service (Traiteur Solidaire), qualifying and pre-qualifying culinary training (Tournesol and Romarin), French-language instruction applied to restaurant professions, and a school-based awareness program (Refugee Food Éducation). No proprietary technology platform underpins the model; delivery is human-mediated through kitchen operations, classroom instruction, and partner-restaurant activations.

The organization's annual Refugee Food Festival is its flagship visibility and pipeline engine, running across 11–13 cities in France and Switzerland each year and engaging 60+ partner restaurants; since 2016 it has reached over 50,000 people across 22 cities in 11 countries. Training outcomes are the primary impact metric: 92% of the third Tournesol promotion obtained the Commis de Cuisine professional title, and in 2023 the association supported 64 refugees (44 trained, 20 in insertion employment). Operational throughput in 2023 included 100,000+ meals distributed to beneficiaries of partner associations, 70,000+ meals served at the social cantines, 31 tonnes of vegetables transformed by the insertion brigade, and 339,388 cocktail pieces prepared across 758 corporate events for 41,155 participants.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across four streams: restaurant and catering sales, public-institution training subsidies (Pôle Emploi/France Travail, DRIEETS, Prefectures, AKTO), foundation grants (Fondation de France, Fondation RAJA-Danièle Marcovici, Fondation Covivio, Fondation Batigère, Fondation RSM, Fondation Arsène, Fondation Abalone), and individual/corporate donations (including via HelloAsso). Pricing is event-driven where disclosed (solidarity dinner tickets at €35 per place), while restaurant pricing is not publicly listed. Distribution spans owned restaurants, festival pop-ups, mobile catering for corporate events, food-aid logistics to partner NGOs (Fondation Armée du Salut, La Chorba, Association Aurore, Emmaüs Solidarit\u00e9, Les Amarres, Droit à l'école), and an embedded footprint in corporate hospitality through partnerships with Accor, Sodexo, Compass Group, and Spok.

Name

Refugee Food

Legal name

Food Sweet Food

Website

https://refugee-food.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Refugee Food (Food Sweet Food) is a French non-profit association founded in 2016 that supports refugee professional integration into the restaurant industry through three Paris social restaurants, qualifying culinary training programs (Tournesol, Romarin), corporate catering, food aid distribution, and an annual festival across French and Swiss cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and community services (refugee integration through food and culinary training)

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services) (BPAGALAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Refugee integration services
• Culinary training programs
• Social restaurants
• Food aid distribution
• Vocational hospitality training

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Operations: Revenue from restaurant operations including La Résidence, La Cantine des Arbustes, and La Cantine de la Cité de Refuge. These restaurants serve meals while providing insertion employment for refugees.
2. Catering/Traiteur Services: Corporate event catering services; in 2023 prepared 339,388 cocktail pieces for 758 corporate events, contributing to financing organizational activities.
3. Professional Training: Professional qualification training programs (Tournesol, Romarin) funded through partnerships with public institutions (Pôle Emploi, DRIEETS, Prefectures) and foundations.
4. Donations and Support: Public donations through platforms like HelloAsso, corporate partnerships, and foundation support to fund food aid and social programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Refugee Food is a French non-profit association (Food Sweet Food) that supports the professional integration of refugees in the restaurant industry through three social restaurants (La Résidence, La Cantine des Arbustes, La Cantine de la Cité de Refuge), qualifying (Tournesol) and pre-qualifying (Romarin) culinary training programs, an annual Refugee Food Festival, solidarity catering services for corporate events, and a food-aid program distributing more than 100,000 meals per year to vulnerable populations in Paris.

Product overview

Refugee Food is a non-profit association operating a multi-component social impact portfolio centered on food, culinary training, and refugee integration. The core offerings include: the annual Refugee Food Festival across multiple cities; three restaurant locations (La Résidence insertion restaurant, La Cantine de la Cité de Refuge social canteen, and La Cantine des Arbustes solidarity canteen); a food aid program distributing daily meals to vulnerable populations; and a solidarity catering service for corporate events. Professional development is supported through qualifying training (Tournesol, leading to kitchen assistant certification) and pre-qualifying training (Romarin), both including French language instruction. The education program (Refugee Food Éducation) conducts pedagogical sessions in middle schools. All activities work together to facilitate refugee professional insertion in the restaurant sector while promoting sustainable, inclusive food systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refugee Food Festival Annual culinary festival held across 11-13 cities in France and Switzerland, where refugee cooks partner with established restaurants and chefs to cook dishes from their home countries, generating visibility, professional opportunities, and cultural exchange for the participants. Since 2016 it has reached 50,000+ participants across 22 cities in 11 countries.
• La Résidence (insertion restaurant at Ground Control) Insertion restaurant located at Ground Control in Paris 12e, employing refugee cooks in paid integration roles while serving diverse international cuisine to the public.
• La Cantine de la Cité de Refuge (social canteen) Social canteen located inside the Fondation Armée du Salut's Cité de Refuge shelter center in Paris 13e, preparing daily meals for shelter residents and food-aid recipients through Refugee Food's insertion brigade.
• La Cantine des Arbustes (solidarity canteen and third place) Solidarity canteen and engaged third place dedicated to sustainable food in Paris 14e, serving the public while running food-aid and social-dining activities.
• Aide Alimentaire (Food Aid program) Food aid program that produces and distributes hundreds of meals daily to vulnerable populations through partnerships with NGOs including Fondation Armée du Salut, La Chorba, Aurore, Emmaüs Solidarité, Les Amarres, and Droit à l'école; over 100,000 meals distributed in Paris in 2023.
• Traiteur Solidaire (solidarity catering) Catering service staffed by refugee cooks in insertion roles, producing cocktail pieces and meals for corporate events; in 2023 it delivered 339,388 cocktail pieces across 758 events to 41,155 participants (named clients include Fondation de France and Sezane), with revenue used to fund the organization's social missions.
• Formation Tournesol (qualifying culinary training) Qualifying training program preparing refugees for the French "Commis de Cuisine" (kitchen assistant) professional title, with 6 months of training including integrated internships and French-language courses; 92% certification success rate for promotion 3.
• Formation Romarin (pre-qualifying pre-training) 3-month pre-qualifying training program for refugees and newcomers facing barriers to formal culinary training, covering French language, restaurant-industry discovery, basic digital skills, and professional orientation (with sports and soft skills via partners such as KABUBU and KONEXIO).
• Refugee Food Éducation (in-school awareness program) School-mediation program bringing refugee chefs into French middle schools (collèges) to lead pedagogical days on migration and refugee integration; 58% of students report changed perspectives on migration after sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% certification success rate for Tournesol training graduates
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Festin (Marseille)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Local association Festin carries Tournesol training in Marseille, enabling first promotion of qualified commis de cuisine training outside Paris.
• Compass GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Compass Group provides internship placements for Tournesol Marseille trainees and examination support.
• AFC GroupecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Provides technical kitchen training for Tournesol Marseille trainees.
• Accor (Hôtel TRIBE La Défense, Mama Shelter, Novotel)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Accor hotels welcomed Romarin beneficiaries for company visits and hosted internships at Novotel Gare de Lyon, Hôtel TRIBE La Défense and Mama Shelter La Défense.
• France Travail (Pôle Emploi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Pôle Emploi (now France Travail) provides support for Romarin pre-training program participants and finances training stipends for Tournesol trainees.
• SodexocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Operational partner supporting Tournesol training program and professional integration.
• Groupe NaxiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Partner providing practical training in kitchen and service techniques for Romarin and Tournesol programs.
• Langues pluriellescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Partner providing French language training for Tournesol program participants.
• KONEXIOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Provides basic digital skills training for Romarin pre-training program participants.
• KABUBUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Provides sports and gentle wellness activities for remobilization purposes in Romarin program.
• Naxis FormationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Provides practical training in kitchen and service for Romarin pre-training program.
• Fondation Armée du SalutcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Host of Cité de Refuge where Refugee Food operates its kitchens; partner for food aid programs including Les Soupes de Nuit.
• La ChorbacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Association providing food aid distribution in partnership with Refugee Food for winter emergency programs.
• Association AurorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Social integration association partnered for food aid distribution and solidarity events.
• Emmaüs SolidaritécoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner for winter emergency food aid programs.
• Droit à l'écolecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Association partnered for food aid distribution.
• Les AmarrescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Daytime welcome center partnered for food aid and Christmas lunch events.
• We Love Green FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Annual music and environmental festival where Refugee Food participates with food offerings; first 100% vegetarian festival in France.
• SpokcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2022Collaboration featuring refugee chef recipes (Tina, Harouna, Sadia, Mokhigoul) in 48 Spok canteens across France from October to December 2022.
• La ChorbacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2022Continued partnership with La Chorba at We Love Green 2022 festival, building on successful food aid collaboration.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Compass Group France: Major contract foodservice company operating across France, with active programs on inclusion and professional insertion. Comparable as a current Refugee Food partner providing internship placements for Tournesol Marseille trainees and examination support.
• Restos du Cœur: Iconic French non-profit providing free meals and food aid to people in poverty, including street-restaurant operations and large-scale meal distribution. Directly comparable to Refugee Food's food-aid and social canteen activities (100,000+ meals/year) but at a substantially larger scale and broader beneficiary base (not refugee-specific).
• Sodexo (Impact & Inclusion programs): Global food services and facilities management company with explicit social-impact and inclusion programs, including partnerships for refugee employment in food services. Comparable as a strategic operational partner of Refugee Food (supports Tournesol training) and as a large incumbent demonstrating the broader corporate demand for refugee insertion.
• Fondation Armée du Salut: Major French social organization operating shelters, social restaurants, and food aid programs. Comparable as both a current partner (hosts La Cantine de la Cité de Refuge and Les Soupes de Nuit) and a peer operating parallel social-restaurant and food-aid programs targeting vulnerable populations.
• Emmaüs (France): Federation of French social enterprises combining work-integration activities with community services and retail. Directly comparable to Refugee Food as a French non-profit operating work-inclusion programs across multiple activity lines, but on a much larger scale and broader social mission (not food-specific).

Direct peers

• Singa France: French non-profit focused on refugee integration through cultural exchange, professional networking, and entrepreneurship programs. Most directly comparable to Refugee Food's professional integration mission, but with a broader (non-food-centric) set of integration levers and a similar community-led GTM.
• Aurore: French association supporting people in precarious situations (homelessness, asylum seekers, refugees) through accommodation, social services, and food aid. Directly comparable as a current Refugee Food partner serving overlapping vulnerable populations, including refugees and asylum seekers.
• La Chorba: French association providing hot meals to homeless and isolated individuals in Paris. Most directly comparable to Refugee Food's food-aid distribution arm — operates the same urban food-distribution model and is a current distribution partner of Refugee Food.

Emerging players

• Too Good To Go: Mission-driven company tackling food waste through a mobile marketplace connecting consumers to surplus meals from restaurants and retailers. Comparable as a European social-impact food business combining commercial activity with food-system mission, though focused on food waste rather than refugee integration.
• Refettorio Paris (by Food for Soul): Chef Massimo Bottura's non-profit restaurant model serving meals to those in need while reducing food waste, with locations including Paris. Comparable as a mission-driven restaurant offering vulnerable populations dignified meals, with similar food-aid-and-hospitality crossover, though less focused on refugee professional insertion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RefugeeFood
• Facebookfacebook.com/RefugeeFood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugee-food
• Instagraminstagram.com/refugeefood

Compliance1 record

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 Refugee Food