through Brendan Martineau
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A year ago, a strange formula landed in the center of Les Sables-d’Olonne.
Micael Benoit opened La Pagaille, a resolutely cheap restaurant. As soon as it opened, a €10 formula was offered to customers eager to take advantage of the cheap cuisine. Very quickly, the eyes of the national media turned to the establishment of Cours Louis Guédon.
“It was a great publicity stunt. Ideal to draw attention to ourselves in our beginnings. But I wasn’t making anything at the time. »
From 1eh May 2022 Micaël Benoit changes his formula to €12.
“It was planned. I had to earn something. It was so successful that I ended up refusing 50 covers a day. I alone took out 30 covers. It was becoming difficult to manage. »
Australian customers
The summer of 2022 is unfolding and the success is still there. Its marinière clams sell for €13.50 and tourists head straight for La Pagaille.
“The concept created an enormous buzz. I even had Australians on holiday in Nantes who heard about the concept via social networks. They came to Les Sables to taste my cooking. I still can’t believe it”, proudly says the one who has the honor of seeing his company appear in Le Petit Fûté. Micaël Benoit even hires Angèle for the bar and service part, but the significant inflation forces him to revise his prices again, on October 1st.
“The main course-dessert or starter-dessert formula is now set at €13.50. The starter-course-dessert formula is €15. With the cost of ingredients, I had no other options. »
Fewer and smaller fish
In fact, according to the restaurateur, the price of meat increased by 35 to 40% last fall. “It is an increase of five to six euros per kg. I pass it on between one and two euros per dish,” he adds. While he resigns himself to the many different fish he offers. “I buy less and less fish. It is too expensive. I buy my salmon in batches and the rest, namely skate wing, squid, dry or hake. I no longer refuse to offer a la carte. La Pagaille’s DNA is to offer fish or meat every lunchtime. »
The electricity bill has tripled
On the other hand, he decided not to make his bread anymore. Feeling the wind of the ball, Micael Benoit went ahead of the critics. He recently decided to post a message on Facebook explaining the increases in his restaurant.
Despite some disparaging comments, the majority of the company’s friends and customers understand this decision. “My electricity bill has tripled. It’s huge. We had to adapt or we would have shut down. »
To compensate for these increases, Micael Benoît has expanded his menu, offering a meat menu at €19 and a pasta menu at €15.
“Our increase of 20% is similar to that of other restaurateurs. We do not do it to make money. It is not the goose that lays the golden egg, the goal is just to make a living from our work. »
Nevertheless, the ambitious chef intends to hire before the summer season. Between two to three seasonal workers are expected to support Micael Benoit and his employee Angèle.
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