In the Seventies, near Bastille Quarter in Paris, Coco meets Freddy. Both work at the Aligre Market, her with her parents, him in his grocery store. Classical love at first sight, they madly fall in love, get married and have kids. In their Oriental Grocery Store « Chez Freddy », they sale spices, tea, henna, olives, peppers but also canned vegetables and everything you can dream of finding in a good grocery store. Their history could have rolled peacefully through the years, naturally, but Coco has great ideas and she wants to make her own products. She adores tea. She has dozen of plants around. She decides to start on a new « business »..
Behind the store, Coco blends herbs and teas, let infuse, tastes, elaborates new recipes. She tries and tries again. Doing so, she invents dozens of potions and always gets the right cocktail. Coco is persevering. Half-herborist, half-apothecary, she’s making detox teas when nobody even talks about detox. Coco is visionary. The benefits of her teas, on their side, are very visible on her customer’s skin ! Every day, more and more people get to the store to discover the latest beauty creations. Teas, infusions, hair masks, skin ointments, creams and many others elixirs, the want to try them all. Aligre Street Magician provides the goods, and they always ask for more !
In this family business, the kids often come to give a hand to their parents. It’s well know, kids love to help their folks. Déborah is the one in charge of the detox with Coco. Quickly, that playful and attentive girl (but mostly playful though) learns everything form her mother. A knowledge that passes on from mother to daughter, it’s also the secret of the Beauty Shop. Coco is an inspiration for Déborah. As an adult, she’ll be like her, that’s for sure. But when she has to choose a job, she prefers becoming make-up artist. She stays close to the beauty but leaves the floor of the store and the tea bags for TV sets, podiums, red carpets, backstages and of course, weddings.
Brilliant make-up artist, she carries on drinking tea. It’s a good habit after all and when she meets Damien, almost randomly at the corner of the two streets the live in, they often gather together at the « bistrot » to drink a little infusion. Coming from the Alps, sports reporter and a bit odd sometimes, Damien shares her loves of the little green leaf and of well-being. Memories form Coco’s blend arise all at once in Déborah’s mind and together, they decide to create their own detox recipes with teas and herbs. Their first creation will be designed for the beauty of the bride, what else. More than 40 years after the Oriental Grocery Store, they invent the Beauty Shop. It was written. Déborah has become grocer, just like her mother and father and for the name of their brand, they choose COCO&freddy. It couldn’t have been different. A true family story…