Page 67 of The Grump

“Rumor has it that the Orleans Conglomerate wants to sell the confectionery. It’s a small operation, which is exactly what I’m hoping for, and I’d like to learn more. First of all, how come you’re interested in selling?” he inquired.

“It’s far too small and too much hassle for us to deal with.”

He chuckled. “You’re not really selling me on that.”

“I’m always straightforward. I can give you the numbers, but it’s completely in the red because we don’t sell the products. We simply use them internally.”

“I figured that was the case. Everyone knows the LeBlanc & Broussard pralines aren’t for sale.”

That surprised me. “I didn’t realize that was common knowledge.”

“Yes, it is. Which brings me to my next question. I would like to keep using the name after buying it, if that’s something you’re amenable to?”

I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not something I can agree on without consulting the family.”

“I mainly wanted to buy it for the brand name and the recipes, of course. So I’m assuming that whoever is in charge now will hand them over to my own team. My family has been making chocolate products for over a hundred years, but our pralines are no match. “

“That’s another thing I can’t guarantee without talking to the team.” But just imagining talking to Bailey about it felt strange, like I was betraying her in some way. Besides, I was certain that most of the recipes belonged to Celine and Isabeau. That would definitely be a difficult conversation.

“Look, man, I’ll be very honest. Without a brand name or the recipes, I’d just be buying some ovens. I want to grow that business and sell these babies everywhere, make bank.”

“That’s a great plan.”

“I know. The question is, why aren’t you doing it?”

I chose my words carefully. I didn’t want to lie to him, but I also didn’t want to make it seem like his idea was insignificant. “Because it would still be a very small operation within the Orleans Conglomerate. And frankly, it still wouldn’t be worth our time.”

“Well, some of us are little fish and are happy with a mom-and-pop shop, so to speak. I’m not budging on the name and the recipes, though. That’s the deal-breaker for me.”

“About the name... I’m not sure that’s going to work out.” I didn’t need to consult the family to know they wouldn’t be thrilled with someone else using our name. “We don’t franchise our name. And we certainly wouldn’t let someone outside the family use it.”

“In that case, I’m not going to be able to jump on this, but do me a favor and think about it.”

“With the right marketing strategy, you could sell a lot of pralines on your own. You could communicate in your initial campaign that theyusedto be called LeBlanc & Broussard, so people make the connection. We could help with that.”

“You would do that at your cost?”

I was triumphant that I still had his interest. “Yes. It might cost us a bit, but it could be worth it.”

“Then I’m back in the game. I’ll think about it. Thanks for the call. By the way, you said you do have some numbers you could send me?”

“Sure. Mostly about the costs.”

“I want to take a look at them, although that won’t be saying much without any sort of sales history. But I’m going to make some projections of my own.”

“Thanks. What was your name again?”

“Ron Trudeau,” he said. “You’re going to have me looked up?”

“Hey, that’s how I do business.”

He laughed. “Don’t worry, I would do the same with anyone else. But your reputation precedes you.”

“Yes, the family is well-known,” I agreed.

“Not just the family. You’re known as being one of the most efficient and honest businesspeople in New Orleans. That’s quite a reputation to have. It’s why I’m even considering buying the confectionery in the first place.”

The man was buttering me up—I’d been around the block enough times to know a brownnoser when I saw one—but he got points for being subtle. “I’ll have my assistant send you the spreadsheets.”

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