In Nice, the restaurant Cocorico offers its customers the chance to pay an amount they consider fair for the meal they just had. A concept that disrupts the norms and revolutionizes the customers’ relationship with consumption.
“It’s a revolutionary concept,” claims one of the two managers of the restaurant. This initiative, launched since June 2024 by two cousins from the Paris region, aims to “restore total trust to the customers.” Here, no prices are displayed on the menu.
At the end of the meal, the customer decides on the amount they want to spend based on their consumption. Furthermore, “all dishes are homemade, whether it’s the breading, the marinade, or even the fries,” explains the restaurateur. “There are restaurants from around the world, and then there’s ours.”
A predominant impact
This approach is not new. Until now practiced as a communication tool, it is clear that this phenomenon is gaining ground. The principle of free pricing is already widespread in certain associations and cultural or solidarity events, but remains rare in traditional dining.
“We primarily rely on word of mouth, so it’s either tourists or locals who come to the restaurant. We record between 20 to 50 customers a day. The number is constantly increasing,” says one of the two cousins.
This concept, based on customer trust, seems to be succeeding. “In 90% of cases, people are honest,” he assures, noting that the vast majority of customers pay a price they consider fair, sometimes even exceeding expectations. This could attract even more customers and encourage the opening of other similar restaurants in the region. The managers “hope that this concept will multiply and that this original idea will spread…”
“If commerce was done better, the customer should set the price”
Inside the restaurant, the philosophy of the two cousins is displayed even on the walls. Several frames are hung, each accompanied by quotes that summarize their philosophy on the concept of free pricing. “In our view, if commerce was done better, the customer should set the price. It’s a new vision of human relationships,” expresses the restaurateur, pointing to the frame in front of him.
According to a recent study published in 2025 by L’Hôtellerie Restauration, the average basket has increased by 20% and people give a discount of about 15% compared to the normal price. For the founders of Cocorico, the reasoning is simple: “this concept is about reciprocity between the restaurateur and the customer. If you are honest in your cooking, be honest in your pricing.”
