Breaking the ice with Brittini and Joseph

This week we interview Joseph Biolatto and Brittini Rae Peterson, a Franco-American couple who have created a new business in Paris in 2019, just ahead of the pandemic.

We don’t sell ice, we sell time.

That is the motto of the Nice Company, who sell crystal-clear ice cubes, balls and other assorted shapes for upscale cocktails in Paris, and all over France.

So, first Brittini, what is your background?

I am American, from Idaho, and I bartended at Hotel on Rivington in New York, before moving Los Angeles to open up SoHo House. In Los Angeles I also ran bars such as The Tar Pit, Goldie’s, and others. In 2015 I won Speed Rack, a well-respected bartending competition that values speed and quality, but above all raises money for breast cancer. I had the opportunity to work for a great group called Collectif 1806, a subset of Remy Cointreau, which gave me the opportunity to travel, most notable to France. In 2017 I made the leap, left my job, moved to France, and worked at Candelaria as well as with Joseph (my now husband) at Baton Rouge. In 2019 Joseph and I opened up The Nice Company, in an attempt to bring quality ice to Paris, and now in 2021 all over France.

Joseph, what about your background?

My family comes from a long lineage of bartenders. My grandfather Antonio Biolatto opened Le Forvm in 1931; it was the second oldest cocktail bar in Paris after Harry’s Bar.

I wanted to be a chef but after culinary school, I decided to choose another way and leaned towards bartending. I worked in beautiful venues such as l’Appart in Paris, Byblos Hotel in Courchevel, Apicius Restaurant and then finally the family business, Le Forvm for 6 years.

In 2015, I opened Baton Rouge with my brother from another mother, the great Julien Escot, a bar that received multiple accolades from the industry.

I met Brittini at Baton Rouge in 2015, we welcomed her in France and she became my wife and partner in crime in this super adventure that is The Nice Company.

How did you and Brittini meet?

Joseph: A girl walks into a bar… ;-) Brittini walked into Baton Rouge a month after the opening on behalf of a work trip for Remy Cointreau USA. We talked about bourbons and rye and I think she was surprised that a French dude knew what was in the bottles on the back bar. We bonded and kept in touch after she went back to the US. We each had our own lives, but in 2017 we understood that we were meant to be together and we didn’t want to live apart anymore.

Any special cultural challenges as a French/ American couple?

Joseph: I still try to understand when she speaks to me. Even if it doesn’t look like it, the French way of living is very different for the people who move here. Language, habits, ways of thinking, administration (huge topic) among others. Some things make no sense to her when it’s perfectly logical for me. I try to put myself in her shoes but I don’t have the same background. She is now almost fluent in French so that helps her a lot to integrate herself around this bunch of crazy people that are the Frenchies.

Baton Rouge is now closed, what made you decide the time was right to say stop?

Joseph: We didn’t, per se, say “stop” with Julien. We put it up for sale in June 2018 because we knew we had accomplished what we had set out to do on this adventure. We pushed this pocket bar to its limits and we had other projects going on. We’ve been incredibly lucky to sell Baton Rouge in December 2019 right before the pandemic. We know that we created something special for a lot of our guests and we are proud of all the bartenders that shared the adventure with us through those years.

How did you get the idea to make and sell ice?

Brittini: When you live in the United States and the World’s 50 Best Bars list is published, we always look in awe. There are always a large number of European bars on this list, and when we travel to Europe, we try to visit as many as possible. I had the chance to visit many of the bars on the list when I was first thinking about moving to Paris, I loved how much dedication they put into their menus, the ambiance and the taste of the cocktails! It was a great experience! However, I noticed that the ice was always an afterthought. Everywhere I went, it was either just regular shaking ice or homemade ice with noticeable flaws. Since that moment I knew something was missing in the market, nice ice.

Tell me about the business, where do you make the ice, how do you cut it, and how do you package it to ship?

Well, I’m sorry for your readers, because we aren’t ready to give too much away about our process! But we make the ice here, in Paris, so it is 100% French ice. It takes about 3-4 days to make a 300 lb block of ice from filtered water, which we then cut down to smaller blocks. Then, based on demand, we cut the block down to cubes of ice for cocktails in a variety of sizes depending on the client. We then deliver to our clients based on demand, and for deliveries outside Paris we ship in a way to that keeps the ice frozen 100% of the time.

What is the most satisfying thing about the business?

Seeing our clients’ faces when they receive the ice for the first time.

The most challenging thing about the business?

Right now, the question is easy, COVID. But aside from that, convincing non-believers. Some people don’t want to see the benefits of switching to our ice.

Where do you see yourself with the Nice company in 5 years?

We are happy to say we have a lot of projects in the works, we have used this time to really structure our business plan. We suggest everyone follow us on Instagram to see where we are going @thenicecompanyparis ☺

Your future plans as a couple? Will you stay in Paris?

Right now, our future and focus is ice. How can we improve the drinking experience in Paris, in France, and more. After we have achieved that? We have no idea. But we like where we are going.

Brittini I feel like I just moved here! I can’t imagine leaving anytime soon personally.

Joseph: What my wife said! ☺ More seriously, maybe in a few years another city in Europe? Who knows?

Do you see yourself working behind a bar again?

Brittini: Ab-so-FUCKING-lutely!!

Joseph: Let’s say that 20 years in the industry takes a serious toll on your body. Standing up, long hours, all the general bartender fatigue etc.. IF I work behind a bar again it will be for only few shifts here and there. I think it’s one of the most amazing job in the whole world but very demanding physically. What I miss the most is the smile of my guests when they take a sip of one of my drinks.

Your biggest piece of advice for people starting a business in the COVID era?

Think & Reflect. Use all the resources you have at your disposition to get advice, so don’t be shy. And make sure, above all else, you know your market inside and out. Just because you see things one way, doesn’t mean the people around you have the same vision.

Read. Question. Think. Don’t be afraid to fail, only the people who don’t do a thing never fail. And never stop to learn and educate yourself.