What started as a love of cooking has grown into a successful French bakery, thanks in part to the support of CBDC Péninsule acadienne.
Jean-Philippe and Pauline Lorentz moved to New Brunswick in 2019 from a small community in the northeast of France, seeking a better quality of life for their family.
“We came on vacation with the idea to travel, and we fell in love with the bay, with the people, and with the Acadian Peninsula,” Pauline said.
After their move, the couple worked jobs with local employers as they settled into life in the community.
They began revisiting their dream of starting their own business after the COVID-19 pandemic. While on vacation, a family member suggested they open a bakery – an idea that immediately resonated.
“We make a lot of decisions while we’re on vacation,” Pauline said with a laugh.
Jean-Philippe has extensive experience in the food industry and a passion for baking that began in childhood. A French bakery, where they could share authentic pastries from their roots in northeast France, felt like the perfect fit.
“Out of love, I joined him in his plan to open a bakery and I’m very happy,” said Pauline, whose background in accounting is also an asset to the business. They wasted no time putting plans into motion and finding a location.
“The people are very kind, and very friendly. It’s similar to a small village you would find in France, so we had no choice but to open in Tracadie,” Pauline said.
As the opening date got closer, Pauline put her love for marketing to work, starting a Facebook page for the business.
“Everyone was sharing that a French bakery was opening in the Acadian Peninsula,” she said. “It was crazy. I remember thinking we might have 10 followers at the end of the day, our family and friends, but that was crazy.”
The couple opened Boulangerie Maison Lorentz in January 2023. The missing piece of their winning recipe was the support of CBDC Péninsule acadienne.
“The CBDC is really there to help businesses in terms of training, financing and advice. It’s really a benefit for the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Pauline said.
Pauline was familiar with the CBDC, dealing with the organization during her past employment, which gave her knowledge of the products and services available.
“It was very easy,” Pauline said of applying for a loan. “We contacted them and told them we needed financing for one of our pieces of equipment. We talked through email. They put our file together and after that we were approved for the loan.”
The couple also took advantage of training through the Entrepreneurial Training Fund and continue to attend events designed to help young entrepreneurs integrate into the business community.
Business has gone well, and the couple hope to continue attracting new customers and eventually open a second location – again with the help of the CBDC.
Having benefited from that support firsthand, Pauline encourages other entrepreneurs to explore the CBDC resources available.
“You will get lots of great advice in areas like accounting and marketing – there are always good things that are available to help you. If you are missing information in an area of business, they’re always there to help.”