What The Crying Tiger does

The Crying Tiger is a privately held Thai bistro restaurant chain operating in Paris, France, under the parent entity Tiger Bro SAS (RCS Paris n° 900 529 124), founded in 2021. The company runs four dine-in locations across the 2nd, 6th, 9th, and 16th arrondissements of Paris, serving traditional, made-from-scratch Thai cuisine cooked to order with daily-delivered fresh ingredients. Its menu spans starters, salads, rice and noodle dishes (including Pad Thai), Thai curries, signature mains such as the marinated "Crying Tiger" Angus beef, and desserts, with vegan and naturally gluten-free options throughout. Beyond dine-in, the company generates revenue through click-and-collect (operated on the Zelty platform with a 20% dine-in discount), delivery via an exclusive Deliveroo partnership, catering and venue privatization for corporate and private events, and branded merchandise sales through its Tiger Store e-commerce line.

The business model combines directly-operated restaurants with a franchising program (€30,000 entry rights, €671,000 total investment, 6% royalty plus 1% marketing contribution on CA HT) targeting operational restaurateurs, alongside ancillary merchandise revenue from a curated product line that includes a scented candle co-developed with Maison de parfum Marie Jeanne. Average unit economics are approximately €2.7M HT revenue per restaurant, ~250 customers per day, and a €35 TTC average basket, with 74% of business from dine-in and 26% from delivery/takeout. The franchise program targets €2.5M CA and ~20% EBITDA per franchised location by year three. The company is co-founded by Thomas Battistini and operates with a lean team of 13 employees; no external funding rounds have been disclosed, and Tiger Bro SAS has a registered share capital of €42,857. Its technology stack is composed of third-party SaaS solutions — Zenchef for reservations, Zelty for online ordering, Paygreen for payments, and Squarespace for its website — with no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

The Crying Tiger

Legal name

Tiger Bro

Website

https://thecryingtiger.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Crying Tiger is a Paris-based Thai bistro chain operating four dine-in restaurants and a franchise program, serving traditional made-from-scratch Thai cuisine to individual diners, with supplemental revenue from catering, delivery (Deliveroo), and branded merchandise (Tiger Store).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thai Restaurant / Casual Dining

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based & Vegan Fast Casual (THAFABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Allergen-Free, Medical) (THAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Thai restaurant
• Bistro dining
• Click and collect
• Thai catering
• Restaurant franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-in restaurant sales: On-site dining revenue at four Paris restaurant locations. 74% of business is dine-in based on franchise disclosure. Average basket of €35 TTC for lunch and dinner service.
2. Delivery and takeout: Click & collect and delivery via Deliveroo platform. 26% of business is delivery and takeout. Takeout prices are discounted 20% versus dine-in prices.
3. Catering and event privatization: Catering services delivering Thai cuisine for events, and venue privatization for private or professional events such as birthdays, business dinners, and social gatherings.
4. Merchandise (Tiger Store): Sale of branded merchandise including scented candles (€62), tote bags (€15), T-shirts (€24), and sweatshirts (€50). Products sourced from partners including Marie Jeanne for candles.
5. Franchise fees: Franchise program requiring €30,000 entry rights, with total investment of €671,000. Franchisees pay 6% royalty and 1% marketing contribution on CA HT. Target CA of €2.5M per location with ~20% EBITDA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Crying Tiger operates a chain of traditional Thai bistros in Paris, serving 100% made-from-scratch Thai cuisine with fresh daily-delivered ingredients across four locations. Beyond dine-in, it offers click & collect takeaway, Deliveroo delivery, catering and event privatization, a franchise program, and a branded merchandise store.

Product overview

The Crying Tiger is a traditional Thai bistro chain operating four locations in Paris (6th, 9th, 16th, and 2nd arrondissements), founded by Tiger Bro SAS. The core offering is a 100% made-from-scratch Thai dining experience with fresh, seasonal ingredients, featuring dishes like curries, Pad Thai, salads, and stir-fries. The company operates across multiple service channels: dine-in restaurant service, Click & Collect takeaway (with 20% price discount), and delivery via Deliveroo. Additionally, The Crying Tiger offers catering services for private events and corporate functions, as well as a franchise program for expansion. The Tiger Store sells branded merchandise including scented candles (created with Maison de parfum Marie Jeanne), organic cotton apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts), and tote bags.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-in Restaurant Service Traditional Thai bistro offering dine-in service at four Paris locations (6th, 9th, 16th, and 2nd arrondissements). Serves 100% made-from-scratch Thai cuisine cooked to order using fresh, daily-delivered ingredients, with starters, salads, rice/noodles, curries, mains, and desserts. Average basket is €35 TTC and ~250 customers are served per day per location.
• Click & Collect (A Emporter)

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% of revenue from on-site dining, indicating strong dine-in demand
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DeliveroocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeliveroo is the primary delivery partner for The Crying Tiger, enabling food delivery to customers across the Paris region. Customers are redirected to the Deliveroo platform for delivery orders. The partnership is referenced in the CGV as the exclusive delivery service provider.
• ZeltycoreTechnology or IntegrationZelty provides the click & collect platform that powers The Crying Tiger's online ordering system for takeaway orders. Referenced in the privacy policy as a sub-processor.
• PaygreencoreTechnology or IntegrationPaygreen provides the secure online payment processing system (credit card payments via CB, Mastercard, Visa, and restaurant vouchers) for The Crying Tiger's website orders.
• ZenchefcoreTechnology or IntegrationZenchef provides the online table reservation system used by The Crying Tiger for managing dine-in bookings at all four Paris locations, accepting reservations up to 10 days in advance.
• Marie JeanneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarie Jeanne perfume house developed an exclusive scented candle for The Crying Tiger, inspired by the restaurant's codes. Features spicy and warm notes (cardamom, incense, sandalwood). Sold through the Tiger Store at €62.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pitaya: French street-food chain specializing in Thai cuisine (Pad Thai, curries) with multiple locations across France. Closest direct competitor to The Crying Tiger in Thai cuisine category, GTM motion, and target audience.
• Big Mamma Group: Paris-headquartered multi-brand bistro restaurant group with a comparable 'authentic, made-from-scratch' positioning across cuisines. Highly comparable on neighborhood bistro model, dine-in focus, and Paris footprint.
• Kodawari Ramen: Paris-based authentic Asian restaurant group (ramen, sushi) with multiple themed locations. Comparable on the 'immersive authentic Asian bistro' positioning and multi-location Paris strategy.
• Rosa's Thai Cafe: UK-based Thai restaurant chain with neighborhood locations, dine-in focus, and multi-unit franchise-style growth. Closest cross-market comparable for The Crying Tiger's bistro-style Thai expansion model.
• Thaikhun: European (primarily UK/Spain) Thai street-food restaurant chain with casual dining positioning. Comparable in Thai-cuisine casual dining and multi-unit European roll-out.
• East Mamma / Pizzeria Popolare (Big Mamma brands): Sibling concept within Big Mamma Group featuring authentic, made-from-scratch Asian-fusion dishes in a Paris bistro setting. Comparable on cuisine authenticity and dine-in driven unit economics.

Broad incumbents

• Wagamama: Global Asian-cuisine casual dining chain with dine-in, delivery, and franchise-style expansion. Comparable as a broader incumbent in Asian/Thai-adjacent casual dining with proven international expansion.

Emerging players

• Phở Bảy Bảy (and other Vietnamese bistros): Independent Asian bistros in Paris offering authentic Southeast Asian cuisine. Comparable as neighborhood bistro competitors within the Asian-cuisine casual segment in Paris.
• Lao Lane Xang: Paris-based authentic Southeast Asian bistro. Comparable as a neighborhood Asian bistro competitor with similar 'authentique / fait maison' positioning.

Others

• Deliveroo Editions: Exclusive delivery partner for The Crying Tiger. Relevant as the channel partner whose commission structure, visibility algorithms, and platform policy directly shape the company's delivery economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thecryingtigerparis

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 The Crying Tiger