History

If the world is an exploration of sensations, our senses are scarcely awake. What if the sensation was just there; in front of us, inside us? What if sight, the dominant sense, suddenly disappeared for a few hours? Would that awaken within us, an unbelievable world of senses;, touch, taste, smell?

It is these questions that innovators like Andreas Heineke in Germany, or Michel Reilhac in France have endeavored to highlight. During the past twenty years, they have arranged a full range of events and experiences throughout Europe such as bars, tactile and audio exhibitions, art performances, etc… all in complete darkness.

These experiences have been developed in France with the involvement in 1997 of the Paul Guinot foundation (the second main blind organization in France), with Michel Reilhac which developed a program of dinners in the dark called “Le goût du noir ?” (the taste of darkness), making it the first non-permanent restaurant in the world in 1999. This program was very successful especially regarding the media attention it drew. It led Michel Reilhac to produce the first ever TV show in complete darkness (shot in infrared); this show was presented by two journalists, one of which was blind.

"Dans le Noir ?" (operated by Ethik Investment) was founded and financed by Edouard de Broglie, a specialist of innovation and social responsibility, with the help of Etienne Boisrond in 2004, in Paris and with the support of the Paul Guinot Foundation for Blind People in order to develop this idea in France, Europe and over the world. Ethik Investment Group is now an international private independent group with companies in France, England, Spain and the United States.

With more than 1,000, 000 visitors in restaurants, spas and events since the opening, "Dans le Noir ?" became the largest operation creating awareness about disability in Europe while remaining a private and profitable company since 2005.

After Paris, London and Barcelona, "Dans le Noir ?" is now also in NYC as the biggest Restaurant in the Dark, in the world. With temporary experiences in Warsaw, Bangkok and Moscow, “Dans le Noir ?” is now expanding its network. “Dans le Noir ?” proposes a franchise program and contract for entrepreneurs interested in the project. In 2011 for example, a franchise opened in Saint Petersburg in conjunction with Sokos Hotel (a major retail group from Finland). Dans le Noir ? has recently developed a new concept of the “Spa”, where people get massages in the dark by blind people. This first opened in Paris in March of 2011.

            
The Investment Group has also developed an Event marketing company, which has (Ethik Event) organized projects all over the world since 2004. In 2006, Ethik Event trained staff in Futuroscope in Poitiers to set up an experience in the dark that attracted more than 450,000 visitors since its opening. The company works for prestigious companies such as LVMH, ACCOR Group, AREVA, Moët & Chandon, l’Occitane, Jean Paul Gaultier, Starbucks, Allianz etc..
Finally, since 2008, the Group has been  offering training and consulting for large corporations in order to share its ”know-how” in terms of productive differences at work. (Ethik Management)

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