Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmanuelle Marchant.
Emmanuelle Marchant
Hi Emmanuelle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I am French and came to work for Disneyworld in the French pavilion at Epcot after finishing my master’s degree in France. I was managing the French bakery and the kiosks outside the French pavilion. I worked there from 1999 until 2004. I then moved to Dallas with my husband and went to work in the corporate world for Bank of America. My husband’s job took us back to Florida for a few years and Qatar for a year. Back in Dallas in 2009, I carried on working for major companies (not food-related but in the financial services). In 2018, after a few hiatus years of working, my husband surprised me with creating Simply French in response to my friends encouraging me to follow my passion for food. I grew up in Provins, a small town close to Paris. My parents came from the Southwest of France, near Toulouse, where good food is the synonym for that region. My grandparents were farmers made foie gras, sausages, salami in addition to the grain business they had. When my parents moved away, their roots never left them, and my father had the largest vegetable garden in the village (apart from the actual farmer!). He was always happy gifting the bounty of his garden to neighbors! My mother was a fantastic cook, and nothing was really store-bought growing up. I pretty much had no idea what a can of soup was until I was much older! Despite studying business in school, I was always the one cooking for the parties (I had the best wild mushrooms that my parents hunted for in the woods and canned). When I met my English husband years later, I was challenged with making his favorite meals from back home. When we moved to the Middle East, the array of spices intrigued and fascinated me. To say that my cuisine is eclectic is an understatement. Right before Covid hit, I decided to take my catering-only business and expand it to a weekly rotating meal prep menu. The business took off as when everyone was stuck at home during Covid! We found a commercial kitchen in Little Elm to expand and supply the demand. After 5 years of operating, we have just signed a lease to open our own brick and mortar at 2410 E Eldorado pkwy, suite 400, Little Elm 75068. We struggled so much finding a commercial kitchen that would fit our needs that we have decided to build a shared/ incubator/ commissary kitchen to allow emergent or established businesses to operate in a kitchen designed for small food businesses. We are hoping to open our doors early 2024. Our store will feature a walk-in grab-and-go area and a private room for cooking classes, birthday parties, private dinners.
While the name of the company is French, we make more than French food. After being in the US since 1999, living and traveling, my cuisine has a lot of influences. The common denominator to all our meals is that we do not cut corners on the quality and choice of ingredients we use.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, and lots of struggles along the way! While Covid was not detrimental to my business structure, the rise of cost of everything has been and is still difficult to handle. Our goal is to provide the “home-cooked” meal experience and elevate it without breaking the bank. The balance is still hard to find. Simply French has 4 people working to make it all possible, and juggling everyone’s schedule and life events can be challenging at times. But Family comes first, and I will work late to allow those who contribute to my business venture to be with their families when it is most needed,
Late 2020, I had to shut down Simply French for a few months to go to France and stay with my mother as she entered hospice care after battling pancreatic cancer. My mother was very proud of the journey I had started, and I resumed the business as her passing in her memory. After being gone for a few months, I was expecting having to start back from almost zero, but to my surprise, my customers came back!
Deciding to build our own shared commercial kitchen is scary and is keeping me at night. The financial commitment is great, and the fear of failing is real.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
We are the jack of all trades! We offer our weekly meal prep menu with the goal of providing tasty and nutritious meals. We also offer cheese & charcuterie trays, and we love making those. Being French means that we are very heavy on the cheese and lighter on the rest! Creating special tray for various holidays pushes my creativity. It’s a love-and-hate relationship, but the love is greater since I keep doing them! I particularly enjoy making traditional French meals such as beef bourguignon. When I go back to France, my own family ask me to make one every time. I enjoy making all French desserts, such as chocolate eclair. And mini tarts.
For a French person, a meal without a sauce is not a meal, just like a meal is not a meal without desserts. Our unique sauces is what I would say sets us apart. All made from scratch, from our creamy lemon sauce, dill sauce, peppercorn sauce to creamy port onion sauce (we make our own Port onions). I am always up for a challenge, and it seems customers turn to me when they have a special themed party and need the food to match their decor.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
People always ask me if I am really French! Yes, I am! I came to the US in 1999. All of my family is still in France. I have been married for over 20 years to my English husband, and my accent is not super French. Just like my cooking, it’s been influenced! I usually get: are you Scandinavian, Scottish…? I am all self-taught. While working at Disneyworld, we used to bring talented young French chefs over on a short-term contract, and I have learned so much, soaking their knowledge. One of my chef friends went on to having 2 Michelin stars. I am always so proud to have known him when he was right out of school, and love visiting when I go back to France,
I only have local moms who work for Simply French. They drop off their kids at school, come to work and leave to pick them up from school. When school is off, all of our kids come to a special area we have for them
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Dining and Cooking