Christopher Coutanceau At The Center Of A New EBS Teaching Case

Christopher Coutanceau at the Heart of a New Teaching Case Developed with European Business School

Dr. Martine Deparis, researcher and lecturer in marketing at the European Business School, has co-authored a new teaching case published by the CCMP, France’s leading management case study repository, alongside colleagues from ESCP Business School and EMLV Leonard de Vinci. The field study focuses on Christopher Coutanceau’s three-Michelin-star restaurant in La Rochelle. This case study demonstrates how research conducted at European Business School directly enriches classroom learning.

A Teaching Case Published by CCMP: What Does It Mean?

The CCMP (Centre for Case Studies and Educational Media) is France’s leading institution for the distribution of management teaching cases. Every publication undergoes a rigorous scientific review process assessing academic quality, pedagogical value, and the relevance of the field research.

Being published by CCMP means joining a catalogue used daily by professors, business schools, universities, and executive education programs throughout the French-speaking world. It is also recognition of the quality of the fieldwork conducted by the authors. For European Business School, it is a strong indicator of the vitality of its applied research.

Christopher Coutanceau: An Exceptional Field Study Rooted in Reality

Born in La Rochelle in 1978, Christopher Coutanceau grew up in a family immersed in gastronomy before developing his own vision: a cuisine inspired by the sea, seasonal ingredients, and a deep commitment to sustainability. Together with Nicolas Brossard, Head Sommelier and named Dining Room Director of the Year by Gault&Millau in 2025, he has built an ecosystem founded on a simple conviction: serving the ocean without harming it.

In 2020, the restaurant earned its third Michelin star. After a brief period with two stars in 2023, it regained its three-star status in 2025—a rare achievement in the world of fine dining that reflects the strength of a vision pursued with humility and consistency.

This field study was not chosen by chance. It embodies the very questions explored by European Business School research: how a service experience becomes memorable, how a brand identity is built over time, and how responsibility and excellence can reinforce one another.

What the Case Teaches: Immersive Experience, CSR, and Strategy

Case M2301 has been designed as a comprehensive strategic and managerial analysis tool. It provides students with a rich environment in which multiple analytical frameworks can be applied to a complex entrepreneurial reality.

The Four Student Assignments

• Assignment 1: Strategic diagnosis of the restaurant using PESTEL, VUCA, Porter’s Five Forces, Business Model Canvas, and SWOT/TOWS frameworks
• Assignment 2: Analysis of the immersive customer experience through three customer personas (Claire, the committed aesthete; Tom, the cosmopolitan explorer; Sophie, the authentic epicurean)
• Assignment 3: Strategic and operational recommendations to evolve the customer experience while preserving the restaurant’s identity
• Assignment 4: Application of immersive experience principles to another industry (retail, automotive, luxury leather goods, etc.)

Beyond management tools, the case addresses major contemporary issues: integrating CSR into a luxury strategy, building lasting emotional relationships with customers, and balancing innovation with authenticity in experience-driven sectors.

Martine Deparis: Research Aligned with the “Designed and Lived Experiences” Axis

Dr. Martine Deparis is a researcher and lecturer in Marketing and Digital Marketing at European Business School, where she also serves as Program Director. A specialist in service relationships, connected customer journeys, and consumer behavior in experiential settings, she has published research on connected consumer journeys (Décisions Marketing) and passenger experiences in railway stations (Journal of Travel Research).

Her work is fully aligned with one of European Business School’s three strategic research axes: “Designed and Lived Experiences,” which explores how organizations create value through the quality of their interactions with customers and users.

A recognized case-study author, Dr. Martine Deparis has previously co-authored several benchmark CCMP cases (The North Face, JONAK, Welgo) with Paul Lapoule (ESCP). The Coutanceau case extends this work by placing responsible service experiences at the center of analysis.

The choice of the Coutanceau restaurant is particularly meaningful. It brings together, within a single case study, all the key themes that define this research axis: service identity, sensory dimensions, personalization, emotional loyalty, and the impact of CSR policies on customer perception.

The collaboration with ESCP Business School and EMLV Leonard de Vinci also highlights European Business School’s ability to contribute to leading inter-institutional research projects through its expertise in customer experience and service management.

Why This Case Reflects the DNA of European Business School

Since 1967, European Business School has trained managers capable of navigating complex environments by combining analytical rigor with a strong human-centered approach. The dual focus of this case—managerial excellence on one side and sustainable commitment on the other—perfectly reflects the values cultivated across the School’s programs.

The European Business School Grande École Program offers specializations directly connected to the themes explored in the case:

• Luxury Brand Strategy & Service Design – Brand strategy, experience design, premium positioning
• Sustainable Global Business Development – CSR, sustainable strategies, responsible value chains
• AI Marketing & Business – Personalization, customer data, and the transformation of customer journeys

European Business School is part of GA Education, an independent family-owned education group. The themes of legacy, long-term identity, and values-driven governance resonate strongly with the story of Christopher Coutanceau, who took over his family’s restaurant in 2008 and transformed it into one of France’s most celebrated culinary institutions.