the essential
On July 11, a fire broke out in the kitchen of Les Tilleuls, caused by a fryer fire. But after only twelve days of closure, the bar resumed its activities and today, it shows almost no traces of the event.
Customers seated on the terrace, coffee machine running, chef busy in the kitchen. Nothing seems to have changed at Les Tilleuls. However, two months ago, the establishment narrowly avoided tragedy. On the morning of July 11, a fryer fire started a fire in the kitchen. “We were lucky that the damage was only material,” says Sacha Raffy, one of the three partners. The bar had to close for nearly weeks, in the middle of summer, for renovations.
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But very quickly, the team was able to bounce back, by inventing a new ephemeral concept, “the pop-up cramé”, to adapt to the circumstances. A subsidiary kitchen was set up in the bar’s annex room, usually reserved for private parties. A new menu was created, offering plant-based and fire-free cuisine. All this made it possible to resume activity on July 24, before the end of the work in the initial kitchen.
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“A beautiful summer” despite everything
The concept took off, and customers responded. “We were expected, because a lot of regulars come to us,” says Sacha Raffy. “Our communication was good, there was real enthusiasm.” The establishment even recorded “a great summer.” But financial aid from the insurance company, to make up for the shortfall from the days of closure, is still expected. “Fortunately, we had some cash set aside, which allowed us to hold on. It’s important to have a safety net,” says the partner.
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Since last Tuesday, activities have returned to normal. Private events and DJ sets can once again be hosted in the bar’s annex room. A cabaret, hosted by drag queens, will take place this Saturday. The old kitchen has been completely renovated: everything has been cleaned, the paint has been redone, as have the toilets. The only vestige of the event: a black mark and a few missing white tiles.
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For the time being, there has been no expert feedback to determine what really caused the fire. At the time, Sacha Raffy explained it by a possible “maladjustment” of the fryer, “a thermostat going out of control”. The appliance has still not been replaced. “We’re going to calm down a bit on the fries”, jokes the partner.
