J'aime co-owner Denise Morreau (left) and founder Bridget O'Sullivan (right) have big plans for the business as it nears 20 years old.
Macaron bakery J’aime is preparing to scale up its operation across the country with eight new locations potentially on the cards as the business approaches 20 years of sweet treats.
The business currently has just two locations in Christchurch and Auckland, but sells thousands of macarons every month, with flavours ranging from maple bacon to classic vanilla.
J’aime founder Bridget O’Sullivan started the business in 2008, making her first macarons to sell at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market.
“Back in those days, and it was a really long time ago, it was a thought that we’ve got a beautiful product that we love, but is it worthy of customers and business?” O’Sullivan said.
“Without having to sign leases overhead, we just started making them and every Saturday we’d rock up at 7.30 in the morning.”
Known for its foodie clientele, she said the market became an incredible way to engage with customers.
The business had eight flavours at the time, and often was sold out by the end of the day.
However, the macaron business was still just a side hustle for O’Sullivan as she was working fulltime as a commercial lawyer.
It wasn’t until six years later she made the decision to commit to J’aime fulltime.
“I just didn’t feel passionate about it, and I knew I wanted to start and own my own business. I met my then business partner Amanda [Marchant], who was a chef, and we started the business together.”
At the time, J’aime was the first dedicated macaron bakery in the country.
Nearly 17 years and almost 300 flavours later, the business has grown to approximately $2 million to $5m in annual revenue.
J’aime has physical locations in Christchurch’s Merivale Mall and Auckland’s Commercial Bay, as well as a nationwide e-commerce platform, wholesale operations and a large production kitchen which is fully-equipped for international growth.
Customers can choose from a wide range of flavour options, with prices ranging from $28.40 for a box of six, to $193.60 for a box of 48.
“We’ve been making them for so many years, but from a baking perspective, they’re a 10 out of 10 for difficulty. They’re affected by the humidity or even if we change ground almond brands. Something like that can completely ruin the product and you have to restart.
“From a flavour perspective, the team we employ are super foodies, including a few qualified chefs. They’re doing lots of research on what’s happening internationally, what food trends are coming up in the future, and what our customers are responding to.”
The business sells roughly 25,000 macarons every month, with year-on-year growth of 20% and online store sales growth of 14% in the year to date.
With figures like those, O’Sullivan said it feels like the right time to think about expansion.
She said there are at least eight New Zealand locations that could be a good fit, including a certain tourist hotspot in the South Island, and a potential store in Australia could be on the cards.
“That’s on our wish list, I think first and foremostly we’d like to get a really solid retail footprint in New Zealand, but I think it’s important to always have long-term goals. If an opportunity comes our way, we’re open to it.
“We opened our Commercial Bay store in February this year. For us, it was a really big step forward entering the Auckland market, and we are refining our retail models since our product is so visual.”
The business has been self-funded since its beginning, but O’Sullivan said it had reached a point where external funding could be considered in order to grow.
Part of defining the business’ next phase has been a recent redesign led by co-owner Denise Morreau, who O’Sullivan had worked with for nearly 10 years.
“I would always put a big emphasis on not just beautiful products but also beautiful packaging. Start to finish, the customer experience should be really beautiful and sensory, and Denise is bang on when it comes to design, brand and marketing.”
The design is heavily centred around the colour red, with O’Sullivan describing it as “unapologetic, bold and eye-catching”, allowing it to stand out from its competitors who she said tended to utilise lighter pastels.
She said the new design stemmed from its all-female team.
“We had a really good look at what our competitors were doing, and then we had a really good look at where we wanted to be, and also who we are as females. We’re an all-female team, lots of girl power here, and we thought, what is the female in 2025 and onwards looking for?”
Reflecting on 17 years, O’Sullivan said the business had survived two earthquakes, a pandemic, and a few kids.
“I think you fall in and out of love with your business a little bit from time to time, especially when times are really hard. For me personally, we have a product that moves with the times and with the trends, which certainly keeps things fresh.
“I’ve changed my role over time as well. Way back in the day, I used to be baking, packaging up courier orders, every single step. Now I’m a bit more into strategy and looking ahead, so I’ve kept my role fresh and I think that keeps things interesting from an owner’s perspective.”
As for her favourite flavour, O Sullivan didn’t hesitate to say creme brulee.
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.