Interview with La Cave de Gavroche: rich and authentic
Meet Olivier Bonafé: a born wine merchant
Before becoming a self-employed wine merchant, Olivier Bonafé had many jobs, all different from each other: animator, director of colonies, concert programmer... Very attracted by novelty and the taste for challenge, Olivier decided to become his own boss the day he had the opportunity. It was in April 2022 that the Cave de Gavroche was born, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
As many independent traders would tell you, it is not always easy to open a business. You have to deal with unforeseen circumstances and challenges, which are never insurmountable. Olivier Bonafé wanted to become his own boss in order to be independent and sell products that he liked. Although setting up his project required a lot of effort and energy, he was able to surround himself with the right people to provide him with the necessary skills to accompany and support him.
Having no particular training in the world of wine, Olivier wanted to open a wine cellar for several reasons. France being the country of wine, it was obvious for Olivier to open a cellar offering the best nectars, and to support the French heritage. Selling a noble product and offering excellent products are very important to the owner of the Cave de Gavroche. "The wine trade is an act that must be perpetuated, both in quality and in tradition. I have the pleasure of selling carefully selected products, and to participate in the influence of the country thanks to this", he confided to us.
A cellar that combines aesthetics and practicality
To design his business, the owner of the Cave de Gavroche was inspired by other wine cellars. And it was while visiting a colleague that Olivier discovered TRADIS furniture. According to him, TRADIS offers products that combine practicality and authenticity.
When designing his future cellar, he wanted something well thought out, aesthetic and of high quality. It was important for his future customers to feel good when entering his cellar. He wanted a shop where the products would be displayed in an elegant way, thanks to tasteful furniture. To design his shop, the wine merchant surrounded himself with the right people. With the help of an architect, Sophie Dodat from the "interior designers" collective, they drew up the plans for the Cave de Gavroche in the making. The success of the opening is based on teamwork from the beginning of the project until D-day.
The choice of solid wood for his furniture was an obvious one. Being an element that is found at several stages in the wine making process, he wanted it to be present in his shop, for the final stage of the sale of a bottle. He has made it a point of honour to remain in this universe, by highlighting wood, this noble and traditional material. The Aged Wood finish was naturally adopted. It was the one that best matched the colours of the shop. It creates harmony and a warm atmosphere.
Apart from the practical and aesthetic criteria, Olivier opted for solid wood, a material that met his specifications. It was essential for this retailer to choose wine shop furniture, specially designed for this profession. Thanks to the TRADIS furniture, he knows exactly how many bottles can be placed on the shelves and how many will be stored in the storeroom. The wine merchant's job involves a lot of handling, and it was important that his efforts were kept to a minimum by having furniture with ample storage space.
Adapted services for independent traders
Olivier is more than delighted with his experience with TRADIS. Everything went wonderfully well, from the first contact to the delivery of his order. The deadlines were respected and very reasonable. His furniture was well delivered and well packaged. According to the wine merchant, it was a real advantage to deliver furniture that was already assembled, which saved him time, stress and energy.
