Faced with the crisis, roadside restaurants are adapting but still attractive

The ritual is immutable. Every day of the week, around 5 p.m., Ludovic Thilloloy sits near the door of his restaurant. As soon as a truck leaves the busy departmental 928 to rush into its vast parking lot, it sets off to meet it. “I guide the drivers in order to optimize the space,” he confides, hat firmly screwed on his head. This is a matter of ten centimeters. I also arrange them according to their departure time the next day. » Then, one by one, the drivers go to the establishment in Brailly-Cornehotte (Somme) to enjoy a hot shower. Around 7 p.m., they gather in front of the bar of this massive 1950s building. With a kir or a draft beer as an aperitif, discussions begin, then everyone sits down to watch the television news. A routine from which Frédéric, a 42-year-old truck driver, does not intend to deviate: “I could eat inside the truck, I have a microwave and refrigerator, but you have to know how to settle down. Nothing replaces a sit-down meal, in the company of other drivers. »

A second home

There are hundreds of roadside restaurants like La Cabane bamboo in France. Located along busy roads, sometimes with no other business for miles around, these establishments occupy a special place in the world of catering.

With parking space large enough for semi-trailers and at least one shower, they often open at 5 a.m. for breakfast for drivers who emerge from the berths of their cabins. And lower the curtain around 10 or 11 p.m. The food, whether at the buffet or on the plate, must be plentiful and most often homemade, at an attractive price. (read the box at the end of the article). Generally count between 15 and 18 euros for a starter-main course-cheese-dessert-coffee-drink formula.

Another essential quality: friendliness. The familiarity is almost mandatory. “We must be a second home where truckers have a good time, where they feel good in the evening,” says Gaud Le Manchec, head of the Beg ar C’hra relay in Plounévez-Moëdec (Côtes-d’Armor). , one of the oldest truck drivers in France. Here, unlike a “classic” restaurant, customers want to interact with each other. It’s their space to socialize after a day alone in the truck. » If there is no reception, you might as well eat in the cabins and go to the vending machine for a coffee, the drivers we meet repeat over and over again.

Truck stops are not only popular with goods transport professionals. Retirees, workers and vacationers make up a significant portion of the clientele, especially for lunch, when drivers often eat on the go in their cabin. At Gaud Le Manchec, the share of this so-called “transient” clientele has tended to increase recently. The complete menu at the price of a dish of the day elsewhere is an unstoppable argument… At the Lignières-Châtelain relay (Somme), Malek and Amaria, two cheerful septuagenarians, who arrive at the end of their triptych country terrine, sirloin and baba au rhum, are among the French who appreciate these establishments: “We didn’t want to cook this lunchtime. We regularly go to truckers, especially when we go on vacation. Even for breakfasts. They are unbeatable in price, quantity and quality. » The price is not the only reason for this enthusiasm. Living in a neighboring village, Jean-Claude, 82, goes to the Relais Routier every lunchtime because “(we) talk easily with the other customers”.

An institution under threat

Participating in a certain balance of the territory and essential for drivers, these truckers are nevertheless threatened. In the fall of 2023, the National Federation of Transport and Logistics Force Ouvrière sounded the alarm: there would only be 1,600 restaurants left out of 3,500 twenty years ago. Closures or put up for sale have increased in recent months. The Lignières-Châtelain relay is in the front row. “Since this summer, I have remained the last driver between Neufchâtel-en-Bray (Seine-Maritime) and Amiens (Somme), 70 km apart,” confirms the friendly Sébastien Duval behind the counter. Fourteen years ago, when I took over this business, there were five of us…” The north and east of France are part of the depopulated areas, like some portions of central France, for example Moulins-Orléans…” From now on, you have to plan where to stop and always have something to eat in your truck, just in case,” advises Jérémy, a 39-year-old driver.

The proliferation of motorways and bypasses of towns had already skimmed these taverns off the road. In recent years, municipalities, complaining about the nuisance of trucks, have removed the parking spaces that belong to them. Less space… fewer customers, “a driver has an interest in having his own parking lot,” summarizes Nadejda Benkadoum, at the Fontaine de Pezou relay (Loir-et-Cher). Inflation further weakens the economic models of these establishments with very low margins. “You have to be smart when purchasing and do volume to keep prices low,” continues the woman who offers a menu for 17.50 euros. We are not like other restaurants. » The habits adopted during the pandemic complete this bleak picture: drivers dine more and more frequently in their trucks, retaining the daily cost envelope (around 60 euros), in addition to their salary. “Little by little, our restaurants are dying,” says Jean-Pierre Larrieux, at the helm of Mille Pattes in Noyant-de-Touraine (Indre-et-Loire). We’re only holding on because my wife and I are retired, and don’t need to pay ourselves. When we stop, at best, our establishment will be transformed into a pizzeria. It would surprise me if our brand remained a trucker…”

Ideas to keep you going

To stay sharp, some are reinventing themselves. On the N88, between Rodez (Aveyron) and Albi (Tarn), the La Croix de Mille restaurant has diversified: newsagent, regional products shop, hotel, room for business seminars, the premises even welcome dancing teas! As much out of desire as out of necessity to adapt to the economic situation, confirms the owner, Jean-Christophe Carcenac. Sébastien Delaborde, recognized chef from Pas-de-Calais, has just taken over Aux amis de la route, in Humières, betting on traditional cuisine that is a little more elaborate, but also more expensive: around twenty euros for a meal . “Due to our limited parking spaces (around fifteen), we are a small driver. Charging prices that are too low is not sustainable. If drivers want this type of restaurant to operate, they must agree to pay a little more. » The first weeks of opening seem to prove him right: in addition to the return of road professionals in the evening, lunch attendance far exceeds his initial expectations.