PAINPAIN

What PAINPAIN does

PAINPAIN is a privately held French artisanal bakery and pastry shop operating from a single flagship at 88 rue des Martyrs in the Abbesses quarter of Montmartre, 18th arrondissement of Paris. Founded in February 2001 by Sandra and Sébastien Mauvieux, the business produces 100% homemade breads, viennoiseries, classic French pastries, and a fast-casual snacking menu (sandwiches, salads, quiches, croque-monsieurs, gougères), using short supply chains — Île-de-France flour from Moulins Bourgeois, Normandy/Montaigu AOP butter, Valrhona chocolate, Isigny cream, and Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar.

The company serves three overlapping customer segments: Montmartre neighborhood residents buying daily bread, the millions of annual tourists visiting the Abbesses quarter, and remote workers and office employees using Click & Collect between 11:00–15:00. Distribution is exclusively through the physical storefront, supplemented by two distinct service formats: a dedicated Click & Collect counter (online prepayment, priority processing with a maximum 30-minute wait) and a unique "TOC-TOC" pedestrian drive-through window for bread sales (contactless card only, no American Express). No delivery, restaurant service, or professional/B2B preferential pricing is offered. Custom celebration cakes and wedding pièces montées (4–20+ servings) are produced on demand via the "Vos Événements" line.

Commercially, PAINPAIN monetizes entirely through on-site retail transactions and event orders, with no disclosed pricing or revenue figures. The bakery is staffed by approximately 30 people, including a brigade of about 10 pastry chefs. Sébastien Mauvieux, who trained at Le Nôtre under Pierre Hermé, Jean-Michel Perruchon, and Gaëtan Paris MOF, is the principal chef and co-owner; Sandra Mauvieux leads boutique operations. Notable distinctions include the Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris (2012), the Prix de la Meilleure Galette de Paris (2020), and supplier status to the Élysée Palace since 2012, with features in Vogue, Marie-Claire, Vanity Fair, Le Figaro, AD Magazine, and Gault & Millau. The business is founder-owned, with no identified external investors or holding structures.

Name

PAINPAIN

Legal name

Pain Pain

Website

https://pain-pain.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PAINPAIN is a privately held French artisan bakery and pastry shop in Paris's Montmartre Abbesses quarter, founded in 2001 by Sandra and Sébastien Mauvieux. It serves neighborhood residents, tourists, and remote workers with 100% homemade breads, viennoiseries, pastries, and a fast-casual snacking menu from a single flagship store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Bakery

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA), Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Artisan french bakery
• Viennoiseries and pastries
• Custom celebration cakes
• Fast casual sandwicherie
• Click and collect

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail bakery sales: On-site retail sales of breads, pastries, viennoiseries, sandwiches, snacks, and beverages. Walk-in customers purchase from the storefront. Primary revenue stream.
2. Custom event pastries: Custom cakes for events (birthdays, weddings) available in various sizes (4, 6, 8, 10+ servings) including Zephyr, Saint-Honoré, and specialty cakes. Tiered pricing for large format cakes (Plaisir, Royal, Sacher, Saint-Eve). Wedding cakes (pièce montée) available for 20+ people minimum.
3. Click & Collect service: Online ordering system for pickup between 11:00-15:00. Customers order online, pay in advance, and collect at dedicated counter without queuing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pain Pain operates a single Parisian artisan bakery at 88 rue des Martyrs in Montmartre's Abbesses quarter, producing and retailing homemade breads (including the award-winning Tradition baguette), viennoiseries, French pastries, fast-casual snacks (sandwiches, salads, quiches, croque-monsieurs), and custom event cakes. Sales are made walk-in at the storefront, through a Click & Collect ordering service, and via a unique Toc Toc pedestrian drive-through window for bread.

Product overview

PAINPAIN is a traditional French bakery and pastry shop operating as both a high-end sandwicherie and patisserie. The business offers a unified offering centered on artisanal bread (breads/viennoiseries), pastries (pâtisseries), and fast-casual snacking, complemented by services including Click & Collect online ordering and the unique TOC-TOC pedestrian drive-through window for bread. Products include the award-winning Tradition baguette (Best baguette of Paris 2012), a full range of croissants and pastries, made-to-order sandwiches, and custom event cakes. The company is located in Montmartre's Abbesses neighborhood and serves both tourists and local residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pains (Breads) Artisanal French breads including the award-winning Tradition baguette (Best Baguette of Paris 2012), Meule des Copains (stone-milled flour), Meule aux Fruits, L'Intégral (whole wheat), and other seeded and grain varieties, made daily on premises from Île-de-France flour supplied by Moulins Bourgeois.
• Viennoiseries Freshly made French viennoiseries including croissants, pains au chocolat, pains au raisin, roulés, chaussons aux pommes, brioches, brownies and financiers, made with 100% butter and Valrhona chocolate.
• Pâtisseries (Pastries) French classic pastries including Zéphyr, Baba au rhum, éclairs (8 flavors), flans (acclaimed by Vogue and Marie-Claire), Opéra, Paris-Brest, Saint-Honoré, various tartes, and seasonal offerings.
• Snacking Fast-casual items including made-to-order sandwiches on the award-winning Tradition baguette with house-made mayonnaise, salads, quiches, gougères (the snack bestseller), croque-monsieurs, hot dogs, and gourmet breads.
• Click & Collect Online ordering service allowing customers to order pastries, snacks, and full meals for pickup at a dedicated counter between 11:00 and 15:00, with priority processing and a maximum 30-minute wait, accessed via app.eatself.com/3016.
• TOC-TOC (Pedestrian Drive-Through) Unique walk-up window service allowing customers to purchase bread directly without entering the store, accepting contactless card payments only (no American Express). Bread only — viennoiseries and other products must be purchased in-store.
• Event Catering Cakes Custom large-format cakes for events including Plaisir, Sacher, Royal, and Saint-Eve ranges available in 4, 6, 8, and 10+ serving sizes, plus traditional pièce montée (wedding cakes) in two versions — traditional cone or flat number on nougatine plaque — for 20+ people minimum.
• Galette des Rois (Epiphany Cake) Award-winning almond galette des rois (Best Galette of Paris 2020) with almond cream perfumed with rum and Amaretto, plus a Brioche Provençale option, available seasonally for Epiphany.

Quantifiable outcome

• Priority order processing with maximum 30-minute wait time for Click & Collect
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moulins BourgeoiscoreOthersFlour supplier providing quality wheat flour from Île-de-France region. Used for all bread production including the award-winning Tradition baguette. Partnership supporting the bakery's commitment to quality French ingredients and short supply chains.
• ValrhonacoreOthersPremium chocolate supplier used for pastries, viennoiseries, and beverages. Provides Valrhona chocolate bars, Valrhona 55% for éclairs, and Valrhona 64% for dark chocolate mousse.
• IllyminorOthersItalian premium coffee brand supplying coffee for the beverage take-away menu including espresso, americano, café au lait, and more.
• Boulanger de FrancecoreOthersLabel/certification partner. Pain Pain adheres to the Boulanger de France label values, which guarantees artisanal production methods and quality standards.
• CFA VersaillesminorOthersCentre de Formation des Apprentis (Vocational Training Center) in Versailles. Both founders Sandra and Sébastien Mauvieux did not meet there despite attending the same year, but the institution represents their training roots in bakery-pâtisserie.
• Le Nôtre (Restaurant/Patisserie)minorOthersPrestigious culinary institution where both Sandra and Sébastien Mauvieux worked. Sandra worked in pastry sales at Le Nôtre, while Sébastien obtained his CAP and BM certifications there. Represents foundational training and professional pedigree.
• Copains BakeryminorOthersReferral partner located across the street. Pain Pain directs customers seeking gluten-free or allergen-free products to Copains bakery, demonstrating community collaboration.
• Gault & MillauminorOthersPrestigious French culinary guide that has reviewed and rated Pain Pain as an artisan bakery.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Poilâne: Iconic Parisian artisan bakery famous for sourdough breads and viennoiseries, with a flagship in the 6th arrondissement and a handful of locations. Comparable as a premium artisanal boulangerie with strong brand and similar product breadth.
• Gontran Cherrier: Artisan boulanger-pâtissier with Paris origins, blending traditional breads and creative viennoiseries. Comparable artisanal positioning and product mix to Pain Pain, with multi-location footprint.
• Stohrer: Paris's oldest pâtisserie (since 1730), offering classic French pastries and viennoiseries in a single historic location. Comparable as a single-site, premium Parisian artisan patisserie serving tourists and locals.
• Carette: Historic Parisian tea room and bakery serving pastries, viennoiseries, and light meals to tourists and locals in central locations. Comparable premium positioning, single-site focus, and mixed bakery-cafe format.
• Du Pain et des Idées: Single-location Parisian artisan boulangerie known for award-winning breads and pastries in a tourist-frequented neighborhood. Closely comparable in scale, artisanal positioning, and product mix to Pain Pain.

Broad incumbents

• Brioche Dorée: Large French bakery-café chain with broad retail and foodservice footprint. Overlaps Pain Pain in viennoiserie, sandwich, and snack categories but competes on convenience and price at scale.
• Pierre Hermé: High-end Parisian pâtisserie known for macarons and signature pastries. Comparable on premium pastry craft and brand prestige, though narrower product focus than Pain Pain's full bakery-snacking offering.
• Paul (Groupe Holder): Large-scale French bakery chain with broad retail and foodservice presence. Comparable product categories (breads, viennoiseries, sandwiches) but competing primarily on convenience and price rather than artisanal premium.
• Ladurée: Iconic Parisian pastry brand known for macarons and viennoiseries, with global retail presence. Overlaps Pain Pain on premium pastry and tourist footfall but with a much broader brand footprint.
• Maison Kayser: Multi-location French artisan bakery chain offering breads, viennoiseries, pastries, and cafe service. Overlaps Pain Pain in product range and bakery-cafe format but operates at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/painpain_paris
• TikToktiktok.com/@painpain.paris

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 PAINPAIN