Sitting on the terrace of the Mirrey restaurant, nestled on the edge of the dyke, at the end of the Deferrari car park in Bandol, one has the impression of being embarked on a ship.
“Almost pitching”laughs Mikaël Vanhamme, who left his job in finance in Paris to join his brother’s adventure.
You may have discovered their project in the show Capital broadcast on M6 last Sunday, or not. In any case, the resourcefulness that is shown in the report turned into a much more successful project.
Self-made facilities
“Last season worked very well for us, so this year we invested in a new container, extended the terrace and created a wooden rooftop”, explains Yann Vanhamme, at the origin of the concept with his best friend, Benjamin Arnaud. Also in the team, the youngest of the siblings, Mathéo Vanhamme.
In their early days, however, success was timid. “We had settled in Aubagne with a food-truck, but we were selling between 10 and 30 burgers a day, explains Benjamin. We decided to come to Bandol, it was much better. Then, we responded to a call for tenders from the town hall of Bandol by detailing our project. Accepted. Long months of preparation followed, filmed by M6.
To keep costs down, they fitted everything out themselves. A long-term adventure. “We had to drill the containers and fit them out, connect to water and electricity, look for furniture that corresponded to the atmosphere we wanted while trying to stay within our budget.”
An investment that has paid off: this year they have refurbished the restaurant, expanding the lower terrace and creating a terrace. They have hired eight additional people, in the kitchen, serving or washing up. “And we invested in a dishwasher, rejoices Yann. We laugh, but last year we brought all the glasses home to wash them!”
They also installed large wooden tables, which they made this winter, and new chairs. “The most beautiful room is still the toilet!”adds Mikael, sardonically.
Late Thursday nights
Another change: no more Thursday night parties. A detail that is not one. “Many customers call us to ask if the Mirrachella are taking place, but the town hall has not given us permission this year”explains Yann Vanhamme.
On the town hall side, it is explained that it is a lack of license that would be lacking. “Last year, they exceeded their rights, we simply made things clear. They can, like other restaurants, request an exceptional authorization. It was granted to them on July 28.”
According to the managers, the police would have come the same day, at 9:30 p.m., to file this authorization. “We were in full service. It’s a bit complicated to organize, without having done a promotion beforehand and without a DJ”explains Yann.
Despite the losses of this evening, the restaurant is full every evening and to ensure a place, it is better to arrive before 7 p.m.
Le Mirrey selects its products carefully, but wishes to remain affordable
At Mirrey, the menu is quite simple, but allows everyone to enjoy a meal by the sea, for a reasonable bill, as Yann and Benjamin, the restaurant’s founders, wanted.
The initial objective was to make “the best burgers in the area”, remembers Yann. Returning from a trip to the United States, it was his brother Mikaël who told him about a cooking technique: the smash burger, understand, crushed burger.
“These are balls of ground meat that are pressed on the grill at 270 degrees so that it is crispy on the outside and remains tender on the inside”, explains Mathéo, who is in the kitchen. Result: a less stuffy burger.
This year, they have expanded their menu with mezes, made with Greek feta, black olives, hummus, and pita bread. “selected by us from quality Greek producers”.
Same for the burger, the meat comes from a Sanaryan butcher and is 100% French. The same goes for decoration, the flower pots come from Ravel, a potter from Bandol.
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