A story of passion
When a love of bread meets destiny
Written by Place de la Cité | April 12, 2021
In this series, our contributor Julie Blondin goes out to meet the entrepreneurs who make up the soul of Place de la Cité. Between laughter and confidences, they open up to share their story and that of their business with us. We invite you to dive into their world too, one conversation at a time.
Changing countries to start a business
When we ask Julie how her career path led to entrepreneurship, she immediately replies that “it is both a vocation and an opportunity”.
How was your company founded?
Julie had always dreamed of starting her own business, but in France, the complications are numerous and the cost is high, she explains. So it was the financial assistance and the confidence that she was given that led her to choose Quebec to establish her first business. She therefore went into business with her spouse Arnaud by buying Boulangerie La Mère Michèle at Place de la Cité.
How did you become an entrepreneur?
But why did they choose bread? The passionate entrepreneur tells us that it was first and foremost the passion of her spouse, who spent 10 years studying and mastering this art. Julie adds that “out of love for him, I went into this field”. The couple complement each other perfectly: she with her entrepreneurial spirit and he with his bread-making expertise. “We really complement each other, both in our personal and professional lives!” she adds with a laugh. A real dream team!
Living on love and fresh bread
Every day, Julie makes it her mission to share her good humor and passion for fresh bread with both her employees and her customers.
What makes you stand out?
Julie’s philosophy is to offer her customers the pleasure of “enjoying fresh, tasty treats every day in a friendly atmosphere”. This is also the guiding principle behind everything she does for her business, always with the customer in mind. The artisanal aspect of the products offered at the bakery is her pride and joy: everything is made on site, with love, and everything is fresh. What more could you ask for?
What is it that still keeps you so passionate?
The beauty behind the Boulangerie La Mère Michèle is not only Julie and Arnaud’s true passion for bread, but also the spirit of a family business that they have succeeded in creating. And sharing this happiness with her employees and customers by always offering a smile is essential, according to Julie. Moreover, it is seeing the smile of her employees on a daily basis that keeps her passionate: “It gives me the strength to be positive every day and to pass this positivity on to the team in return.”
Persevere with optimism
Changing countries and then starting a business is no easy task. Julie tells us how she has experienced the challenges of entrepreneurship since her arrival in the field.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced?
Julie tells us about the difficulties in finding labor and skilled craftsmen, a problem that other shopkeepers also face. Faced with this difficulty, the determined entrepreneur has chosen to hire a European baker, who takes care of bread production every night. Another challenge she shares with us is the holiday season: Julie explains that on this occasion, the turnover doubles in just a few days. “It’s a great challenge!” she says with a laugh.
What can we wish you for the future?
Optimistic and ambitious, Julie has big plans for her business. She would like to be able to develop all the new products that she and her partner are thinking of launching. She recognizes that with the difficulties of finding labor, it is not easy. “But it will happen, you have to give it time!” she says with a smile.
Julie, we wish you all the best and we can’t wait to discover the new products to come!
