Maison Loucel opens franchising to candidates without butchery experience

Maison Loucel is recruiting its first franchisees and welcoming applications from people who are not butchers. Announced on 6 November 2026, the move accompanies the rebranding of the former Maison Hofer. The chain has nine company-owned shops and offers a model that divides responsibilities between the franchisee, who runs the retail business, and a qualified team handling the butchery work.

Nine shops ahead of the first franchises

Since 2 November 2026, Maison Hofer shopfronts have gradually been adopting the Maison Loucel name. The rebranding covers a network of butcher’s shops selling charcuterie and prepared food in the French departments of Haute-Savoie, Savoie and Ain.

The nine shops are in Allonzier-la-Caille, Belley, Chambéry, Douvaine, Grésy-sur-Aix, Meythet, Musièges, Rumilly and Sciez. All are currently operated by the company itself. Two, in Grésy-sur-Aix and Belley, serve as pilot shops.

For the franchise sector, the announcement therefore marks the start of recruitment, rather than the opening of outlets already entrusted to independent partners. Maison Loucel is using its existing shops to show candidates how the business operates and prepare to pass on its methods.

The rebranding and franchise recruitment launch came four days apart. Together, they raise the profile of the expansion plans without changing the status of the nine shops at this stage: all remain company-owned and operated.

A retail owner-manager supported by qualified butchers

The distinctive feature of the recruitment drive is the range of candidates sought. In its statement of 6 November, Maison Loucel invites applications from retailers, managers and career changers. Butchery experience is an advantage, but the chain does not require it.

The model is based on a clear division of duties. The franchisee welcomes customers and serves at the counter, recruits the team, organises staff rotas and monitors the shop’s performance indicators: turnover, margin, stock and wastage. The role therefore combines sales, people management and business management.

Cutting and preparation are handled by qualified butchers. An employed head butcher acts as the franchisee’s day-to-day point of contact on technical matters. Welcoming candidates from outside the trade does not mean the shop operates without professional butchery expertise: that expertise comes from the team recruited.

For a career changer, this distinction is essential. The opportunity is not simply an investment in a food retail business. It requires hands-on involvement in sales and shop management, supported by skilled employees carrying out the technical work.

Two complementary training programmes

Maison Loucel plans to provide franchisees with four weeks of initial training. The programme combines theory with practical experience in a pilot shop. It is designed to help candidates, some of whom will be new to the trade, learn how to run the shop.

Training covers products, hygiene and traceability, supported by the chain’s operations manual. These subjects therefore remain part of the owner-manager’s training, even when employees handle cutting and preparation.

The head butcher follows a separate 15-day programme. The two courses reflect the distinct responsibilities within the shop: sales leadership and business management for the franchisee, and technical operations for the butchery team.

Prospective partners should therefore pay as much attention to how these two roles work together as to the training programme itself.

Recruitment focused on two regions

The first candidates are being sought in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The former is home to all nine existing shops. The latter is new territory for Maison Loucel, which does not yet have any shops there.

Recruitment is thus focused on two French regions, rather than being presented as an immediate nationwide rollout. Applications are handled by Jean Charbonnel, Maison Loucel’s franchise director.

Key takeaway for candidates: the model offers a route to running a butcher’s shop without being a butcher yourself, but depends on recruiting a qualified team. Before committing, candidates should clarify the responsibilities of the owner-manager and head butcher, and how they will work together day to day.