It would be nearly impossible to pick Bonne et Filou’s dog-friendly macarons out of a bakery lineup of otherwise human-focused treats. The macarons are made (handmade in the USA) to look identical to real French macarons while being healthy for dogs. They tick several consumer-focused boxes: all natural, made of human-grade ingredients, no corn or wheat, no preservatives or anything artificial. But beyond that, the macarons are marketed straight to those who put the highest priority on treating their pets.
“Not only are our dog macarons so tasty that they could be eaten by humans, but the packaging is also so high-end and unique that it brings the humanization of our pooches to a level that cannot be found in another brand,” says Nicolas Nemeth, founder and CEO of Bonne et Filou. “I believe our packaging definitely sets us apart from other premium brands. We are pushing the human experience for pets to a limit that has never been tried before and we strive to be known for this.”
Why macarons?
Bonne et Filou’s origin story has two inspirations: the dogs of French King Louis XIV, Bonne and Filou (Nemeth is French), and the love story between Nemeth and his wife.
“Bonne and Filou lived in the Palace of Versailles,” says Nemeth. “They slept on satin sheets, wore diamond collars and even had their own personal chef. Our mission is to provide the same caliber of luxury for our own pooches.
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“Treat your dog like royalty!” is Bonne et Filou’s tagline, echoed by its products. | Courtesy Bonne et Filou
“But more personally, the brand came from the story of Linzi (Nemeth’s wife), Filou (their dog) and myself,” he says. “Macarons have played an important part in our dating relationship since the beginning.” Nemeth says he snuck out of the restaurant during his and Linzi’s first date to surprise her with a box of macarons, “to bring her a little piece of [my] home.” Macarons became a tradition between them, and their dog Filou would try to get into the boxes to steal one for herself (they always caught her). Thus, the idea to make dog-friendly macarons was born.
A busy first year with a retail focus
Bonne et FIlou launched in December 2019, which means it has operated almost exclusively under COVID-19/pandemic conditions. It’s been a challenge, but one the company seems to have thrived on.
“We are already in 400+ stores across the U.S., including 200+ pet food stores,” says Nemeth. “[We also have] a presence in major department stores like Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. We opened two pop-up stores in New York during the 2020 holiday season, one in Bryant Park and one in the World Trade Center (we were the only dog-focused brand there). These pop-ups gave us visibility during such an important holiday period and really helped increase awareness of the brand as well as helping sales at our retailers. Multiple clients that were given our products went back to their local retail store.”
Bonne et FIlou’s macaron treats currently come in five flavors: mint, lavender and strawberry, the company’s initial offerings; and vanilla and rose flavors, which launched in the fourth quarter of 2020. | Courtesy Bonne et Filou
Bonne et Filou was also included in a lot of pet gift guides, causing online sales to boom and retailers to stock up, and driving some of the company’s items out of stock during its first full holiday season — a good problem to have, says Nemeth, if operationally challenging, especially during a pandemic.
“We are continuing to see amazing sales metrics, especially in our retail channel as we are seeing so many new retailers come to us to carry our products,” says Nemeth. “We believe that there are big opportunities in pet food retail and not only with big department stores; we also continue to focus on developing the mom-and-pop retailers and mass-market retailers. We have noticed that our products actually sell well in all kind of retailers (premium ones will sell our products as day-to-day treats, mass market sells them as gifts).”
Expansion in retail was both the top challenge and the top opportunity for Bonne et Filou in 2020.
“We launched retail in March 2020 in the middle of COVID-19, an international confinement and border closures,” says Nemeth. “Our retail clients were really affected, and so were we in terms of sales and development, but despite the tough situation we continued to bet on this channel. We made retail our priority. It paid well for the brand since a lot of retailers are differentiating themselves by carrying unique products, which is the definition of our offering. Our product is perfect for pet food retailers: with its beautiful packaging the product looks great on a display. Customers usually notice the product right away in a pet store.”
Innovation, diversification keys to Bonne et Filou’s future
Bonne et Filous has been ranked by Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan as the #1 best dog gift in the U.S.; has been featured in places like Vogue, Refinery 29, BuzzFeed, FastCompany, Fox, CNN, CBS and ABC; and received an Industry Recognition Award from Pet Business Magazine in the “Dog Treats” category. It’s safe to say the word is out, but Nemeth says he knows continuing to push forward and expand is key to success as a new company.
“Our goal is to expand our current product line, considering consumers’ demands for new flavors,” says Nemeth. “We have also seen a strong demand from our customers to expand our brand in new product categories. Our continued growth will come through always innovating, so we are currently looking to release new products in the dog treats segment as well as diversifying in new product categories. The goal is to get Bonne et Filou to the next level and become the one-stop shop for French-inspired dog products in the U.S.”
The company doesn’t take itself too seriously, believing that luxury can be fun and playful while at the same time serving its customers quality treats their dogs will love. | Courtesy Bonne et Filou
Of course, retail expansion is also key to the company’s strategy in 2021. Retail will always be a priority, says Nemeth, because the company truly wants to support retailers.
“Most of them are in the same boat as us — family-run businesses — and this challenging period is the perfect time to support each other,” he says.
Bonne et Filou also completely controls its sales channels.
“Everything sold online is run by us directly, not by distributors or wholesalers,” says Nemeth. “It enables us to control our pricing and ensure our retailers are always competitive with our offerings online.”
Finally, Nemeth says he is well aware that Bonne et Filou is just getting started.
“It’s going to be a long journey for Bonne et Filou and we are only at the beginning,” he says. “We want to continue to produce the best of the best and provide products that continue humanizing our best furry friends. Creating a luxury brand in the dog industry is not easy and we consider that the key to success is to not take ourselves too seriously, while taking our commitment to our clients seriously. Modern luxury can be fun, playful and joyous. One thing is important though: no matter what form luxury takes, it is always sophisticated, which I believe Bonne et Filou is and will continue to be every day.”
Fast Facts
Headquarters: New York, New York, USA
Officers: Nicolas Nemeth, CEO
Brands: Bonne et Filou
Website/Social Media: www.bonneetfilou.com; @bonneetfilou on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn; YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3cFoU50
Notable: Many customers never believe that our products are for dogs, always thinking they are for humans. It’s the highest compliment you can give to the team, because it means that we actually succeeded in being unique and different in the industry!
