The Dolfi group, owner of À la Mère de Famille, is acquiring Maison Lac, a chocolate maker and pâtissier based in La Trinité, on the outskirts of Nice. The transaction covers 70 employees, a production workshop and four shops located in Nice and the Cap 3000 shopping centre.
Analysis by the experts at Auris Finance, M&A and financial engineering advisory firm.
The Dolfi group is not simply buying a network of shops. It is acquiring a complete production facility. The La Trinité workshop includes a roasting unit that enables Maison Lac to process cocoa itself, from bean to bar.
This expertise aligns directly with the acquirer’s model. À la Mère de Famille makes its chocolates at its factory in Chambray-lès-Tours using the same approach, based on the direct selection of raw materials. The transaction therefore brings together two companies that share the same high standards in production.
A brand whose value lies in its know-how
Founded in 1995 by Pascal and Valérie Lac, the business has built solid professional recognition over thirty years. It has been a member since 2006 of Relais Desserts, an association that brings together the international elite of fine pâtisserie, and holds the state-awarded “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” (Living Heritage Company) label.
In an artisanal business, value rests on the brand, the recipes and the teams that execute them. These are precisely the three elements that the Dolfi group has committed to preserving. The choice is not merely a matter of heritage: it protects the asset that justifies the acquisition price.
Nice, a stronghold on the Côte d’Azur
The group already owned Maison Auer in Nice, a chocolate maker and confectioner founded in 1820. With Lac, it now has two well-known brands in the same market, each with its own clientele and identity.
This dual presence strengthens its position in a high-footfall area, without either of the two brands disappearing. The group gains local depth while preserving the distinctive character of each business.
An external growth model proven over twenty-six years
The transaction is part of a strategy launched in 2000 with the acquisition of À la Mère de Famille, the oldest chocolate shop in Paris, which today has 16 shops in the capital. The group, led by the third generation of the family, has since taken over iconic businesses such as the Stohrer pâtisserie in Paris and Au Négus in Nevers. It now brings together around fifteen businesses and more than fifty shops in France.
The principle remains unchanged: each business retains its name, its methods and its identity. The group acts as a consolidator of independent artisanal businesses, without merging them into a single brand.
For a founder preparing for succession, this type of acquirer offers an alternative to a sale to a financial investor or to a competitor that would absorb the brand. It ensures the continuity of the business while giving it access to the resources of a group.
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