With the ban on dinner shows at his vineyard, Mario Pelchat turned to a last-minute plan B: presenting “commented dinners” with his wife. The alternative solution, however, did not have the expected effects. “I expected more people to come see us. There are many who thought we were closed,” regrets the singer.
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Instead of doing his 45 shows planned in his 250-seat hall at Domaine Pelchat Lemaître-Auger in recent months, Mario Pelchat organized 30 commented dinners where he was not allowed to sing according to an order from the Commission of the protection of the agricultural territory of Quebec (CPTAQ).
The public responded to the call, but in fewer numbers than expected. “There were sometimes 50, sometimes 60 people,” he said. There were a few evenings where there were between 80 and 100 people, but we never exceeded that. It’s obvious that the income is not the same.”
The comments that the singer received from these events, on the other hand, were very positive. “I didn’t think it was going to be so popular,” he admits. Many couples were very touched by our story, Claire and I, and they told us that we should do it again.
20,000 bottles
Faced with the cancellation of shows at the vineyard, Mario Pelchat had to reimburse the approximately 9,000 tickets he had sold. “But the ticketing company kept a sales fee of $5 per ticket. We’re talking about nearly $50,000 that I lost.”
The singer is also stuck with a “terrible” quantity of unsold wine, he estimates that he still has 20,000 bottles, which he would normally have managed to sell by holding his shows. “These are dormant revenues. We are not allowed to go to the SAQ. I don’t know what I’m going to do. We can’t drink them all!” he said.
“I find it long”
In order not to relive this situation next year, Mario Pelchat has made a new request for authorization to present shows from the CPTAQ. “We submitted it in June. It’s November and I don’t have an answer, he mentions. I find it long. It worries me for next season and the seasons to come.
If the singer does not receive authorization from the CPTAQ, could his vineyard have to close its doors? “It’s not my intention to close,” he said. But it is certain that it would make the financial health of the company precarious.”
Stress and anxiety
The singer specifies that he currently has municipal taxes in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac depending on the commercial aspect of his business. “I have taxes to pay for a theater. But I don’t have the right to operate on it. This is completely ridiculous!”
Because this whole situation caused him a lot of stress and anxiety, Mario Pelchat almost canceled the shows planned on his calendar this fall across Quebec. “I was afraid to do the shows, because I had a lot of trouble breathing. But I made the decision to face the music.”
