Petite Maison launched in Whitehorse in 2021, bringing crepes and traditional French pastries to the region as its only French food provider. Soon, the Petite Maison team was catering large events for the municipality, First Nations organizations, and weddings while also running the restaurant six days a week.
As the team behind Petite Maison begins thinking about its next step—including a possible factory to expand operations—its founder and managing partner, Edwine Veniat, joined us to discuss her experience in Stream 1 of the AccelerateIP program.
When people think about creperies, the importance of IP may not be the first thing to come to mind. How does IP fit into your business?
Early on, we had thought about franchising and so we wanted to protect the recipes and processes that we use. Crepes are so popular around the world, and yet we hadn’t seen any franchises that treated crepes as something special—not as fast food, but as a special meal made from scratch with seasonal ingredients. That’s what we do.
Our interest in intellectual property started with a desire to protect the way we work.
We’re also looking into the possibility of developing our own online ordering platform. Lots of larger restaurant franchises develop their own software, and that’s something that we’re looking at doing as well. There are lots of existing solutions available, but we want to build something that can take orders, support our staff, and track the cost of ingredients versus sales to ensure that we’re staying within our margins.
That’s a project that we’re still working on, but IP protection would be essential.
You took part in Stream 1. Can you tell me about your experience and what you learned?
It was an amazing experience. Intellectual property is something that we didn’t have much experience with before the program, and when we heard about it through the University of the Yukon–it sounded like a perfect opportunity.
The instructors were very clear and knowledgeable throughout the program, and our cohort was very engaged and came with lots of questions.
Stream 1 gave me an understanding of important concepts in intellectual property and what the different components are. Despite not having a background in IP, we discussed quite complicated concepts and were able to apply them to various scenarios through case studies. It was a very active learning experience.
It was really emphasized that we should be thinking about intellectual property from the outset, alongside a business plan.
What would you say to someone thinking about taking part in AccelerateIP?
I would say that for entrepreneurs, it’s very important. It’s foundational to so much of what we do and is a key part of protecting our work.
It was an incredibly rewarding experience and has significantly improved my understanding of IP. The curriculum was meticulously designed, combining theoretical knowledge with practical insights, making complex IP concepts accessible and engaging. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to learn from industry experts who shared their real-world experiences and strategies for navigating the IP ecosystem effectively.
This program has equipped me with the tools and confidence to strategically manage and protect IP assets within my own projects and ventures. It has opened my eyes to the importance of a well-structured IP strategy and how it can be a game-changer for businesses looking to secure a competitive edge in the market.
