Flunch
Flunch is a French fast casual restaurant chain, owned by the Agapes Restauration group.
Restaurants
The first Flunch branch opened in the Englos shopping centre on the outskirts of Lille in 1971. There are currently around 200 outlets in France, over 50 of which are operated on a franchise basis.
The Flunch concept is somewhat comparable to the Sizzler group of restaurants in the United States, in that the majority of the company's restaurants are located in out-of-town shopping centres or as part of motorway service areas. The chain serves 60 million customers a year according to their corporate website.
Flunch restaurants are operated on a self-service basis, where customers select their food and proceed to a checkout where any items are paid for prior to their consumption. Specific hot meals, namely cooked meats, are prepared to order in front of the customer at 'la grille', which is the part of the 'Flunch experience' the chain is known for.
Trivia
The word 'flunch' is a portmanteau of 'fast' and 'lunch'; it has become part of French slang, coining the verb, 'fluncher'.
Celebrity endorsements
- Samuel Etienne (1991–2004)
- Franck Esser (since 1987)
- Christophe Dechavanne (1983–1998)
- Laurent Boyer (1987–2010)
- Gilbert Melki (1987–2002)
- Jean-Luc Reichmann (1983–2001)
- Séverine Ferrer (since 1997)
- Leila Bekhti (since 1998)
- Alisson Paradis (since 2005)
- Hafsia Harsi (since 2008)
- Anne Wood (since 1989)
- Boiry (since 1978)
- Joan Fagialini (1998–2005)
Slogan
- 1997-2005 : On va fluncher
- 2005-2007 : Manger varié, c'est bien meilleur pour la santé
- 2007-2009 : Flunch, le plaisir intansément
- Since 2009 : Fluncher, c'est mieux que manger !
Lawsuit for plagiarism
Flunch lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the hit On va s'aimer by Gilbert Montagné. Indeed, the casual restaurant is allowed to use all the words in the chorus On va fluncher. Begun in 1997, the legal battle lasted 9 years, ending December 5, 2006 in favor of the French singer who had to lodge an appeal twice. The court delivered its verdict on the principle of public policy in the inalienable right to respect for the work .