The restaurant is renowned for its cuisine, but also for its innovation in human resources. Les Grands Buffets are a real institution in Narbonne (Aude). The establishment has decided to transfer its employees to three and a half day week, for three and a half days of restwhile keeping the same salary.
An atypical work rhythm in restaurants which delights employees like Maëva, head waiter at Grands Buffets. “Having the privilege of working in this house with three and a half days off is precisely what I like and what pushes me to get up every morning. The day can be rather intense as in any establishment, but you have more time at home. Not everyone will offer that to you. Generally, it’s a day and a half of rest,” confides the employee.
This is one of the many social advances desired by founder Louis Privat. “We were the first French restaurant to switch to 35 hoursto propose the four-day week. The success of a service company like ours essentially rests on itself, all employees must be recognized,” explains the boss.
Salaries follow, no less than 2,000 euros net per month for a starting server. Les Grands Buffets are an institution in Narbonne. More than 150 recipes from chef Auguste Escoffier are available. The gigantic cheese platter is a huge success, 350,000 people eat there every year.
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