Chocolate Wars

Perhaps fairly civil chocolate "wars" could happen only in Switzerland.  But it turns out that, unbeknownst to me, lost in my little cocoon, such chocolate warfare has been happening right on my doorstep.

According to today's Geneva Tribune, the little Confiserie de la Fontaine, quite visibly located on our quaint medieval main main street, is locked in a legal battle, referred to by the Tribune as a bisbille (squabble or falling out) with the recently-opened (Fall 2012) Chocolaterie Banchet.

As explained in the article, M Banchet (the father) was originally the owner of the Confiserie de la Fontaine, but sold his business in 2011 to another couple, the Bichets, who have been running the busines quite successfully since.  As one can see, there is already a small problem in that the names themselves are very similar at first blush - which should possibly have, in itself, raised a small red flag to the purchasers.

In any event, the sales contract stipulated that the Bichets would undertake to purchase chocolate produced by M Banchet fils for a five-year period, during which time no new chocolate business would be opened to compete with them.  When M Banchet fils opened his own chocolate business last fall not far from the local gare (train station), the Bichets promptly sued him for concurrence deloyale (unfair trade competition).

Unfortunately, the Bichets had apparently not read the fine print in their sales contract.  The court ultimately determined that the anti-competition clause applied only to M Banchet the father and not at all to the son.  The Bichets thus had no cause of action and no legal remedy.

It turns out that the relationship between the two families is even more contractually intertwined - at least for another three years.  The Bichets make their own chocolate in the same premises - rented from M Banchet the father - that M Banchet fils uses for his own business.

Still, because both establishments make excellent chocolates and we in the general area appreciate chocolate very much, it is difficult to be too dismayed at the prospect of more - and presumably even improving quality  - chocolate so close by.  There are enough of us to keep both businesses going.  And then some.  But, if one of them could develop a delicious chocolate that we normal people could eat without adding the commensurate poundage, that one would definitely "win" the competition so far as I am concerned.

In the meantime, we're - almost - all winners!  Mmmmmm!