WHAT IT IS?
When we travel, we seek unique experiences and memorable moments that allow us to share, live, and enjoy ourselves fully. There are interesting opportunities in the gastronomic segment, as it has always been closely connected with the entertainment sector. From cinemas that sell you popcorn, to sports events whit the common hotdog, food & beverage and entertainment work as complementary industries, and the project we are about to mention uses this as part of the overall experience.
We are talking about Le Petit Chef, and yes, we know it is not the newest concept to integrate entertainment into the dining experience, since this project has been in the market for 10 years now, and its novelty isn’t the main point of this blog, but in manner of fact however, we believe this experience deserves a second opportunity thanks to the launch of new technologies in recent years.
WHY IT´S COOL?
I find it very well executed that the people behind this project are using new technologies to keep the experience relevant for both those who haven’t experienced it yet and those who already have. The new experience that they bring to the table (literally) is VR, we can understand that virtual reality have change a lot of services and in this case, building on the well-known experience of projection mapping on the table, but they can improve the experience with a more immersive world that allows diners to discover more and see more of the creative, visual and easy to enjoy “movie” that is given in Le Petit Chef.
This new VR experience shows a whole kitchen while the chefs cook in an incredibly elaborate way using Rube Goldberg machines, and of course, with the well-known physical humor of the creatives behind the scripts of these experiences.
This new way of presenting the meal and preparation creates a memorable and unique form of interaction with this experience, designed to take advantage of the whole environment. Even though it is not perfect, they need to improve the colors, UX, design, etc. It’s a way to offer new products to diners, both in virtual productions and in the gastronomic proposal.
This is an incredible market that could have more intervention in the new tech to bring and create new touch points to this already build experiences, for example, right now the new product is VR, but wouldn’t it be amazing if they created an Augmented Reality experience, and in manner of fact, they might be thinking about this already.
WHY IT HAS FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL?
But this is not an opportunity just for them, there is a service that could adopt new technologies and improve the client experience through innovative solutions that could bring those touch points to another level. In this case an example could be the use of IA to interact with this kind of service.
We can take as an example the Refik Anadol, Unsupervised—Machine Hallucination, a work of art that creates constant changes in the art, the remarkable aspect of this work is that it incorporates both the entire collection in the museum and what it ‘sees’ through a camera.
If we combine this AI capability with experiences like Le Petit Chef, we can have a huge opportunity of an interactive experience that allows clients to enjoy new, personalized, and even more amazing experiences.
As I present in the name of this post, the new way of dining and entertainment will require the integration of new technologies that enhance the experience through our senses, creating new magical services within gastronomy.
References:
http://lepetitchef.com/
https://elmundoenmispies.com/experiencia-en-le-petit-chef-el-chef-mas-pequeno-del-mundo/
Rahim Ennassiri
Luisa Raigozo
Le Petit Chef’s longevity proves the concept works, but their pivot to Virtual Reality (VR) is key to staying relevant. It transforms dining from passive viewing (3D projection) to a truly immersive, narrative experience.
The real future potential lies in integrating AI. By drawing inspiration from projects like Refik Anadol’s “Machine Hallucination,” Le Petit Chef could create interactive, personalized stories that change for every diner. This fusion of gastronomy, VR, and AI is how you create “magical services” and unlock the next level of customer engagement.
Sebastian Duran Otaola
Glauco Rivera
Sheima El Boutaybi
anamay shah
Milana Moldovanov
Gourav Makam
Thaleia Bamiha
Camila Altieri
Eva Jannat