“In 38 years, I have only taken three weekends off”, this famous nightclub in Gironde is for sale

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“For 20 years, we lived exclusively from the discotheque” Jean-Marie Musquin could have talked about the Hermitage discotheque, his discotheque, for hours. For 38 years, the nightclub located very close to La Réole, in Gironde, has been dance several generations.

The nightclub has been closed since Covid

That was before the Covid-19 crisis which forced the establishment to close its doors. “We could have reopened after Covid, but we did not do so for various reasons: part of the team did not want to leave and retirement age was arriving for me,” explains the owner.

Since then, Jean-Marie Musquin has been looking good takeoverrthe one who will be able to perpetuate the spirit of the discotheque, where so many couples were formed. “I want to sell, but only to a solid project. I've already rejected several proposals, telling them that it's definitely not going to work. »

“We walked on water”

L'Hermitage is above all a family story, that of the Musquin family. After a first unsuccessful attempt in 1980, Jean-Marie, his brother Jean-Michel and their father bought the Hermitage restaurant to turn it into a nightclub.

After a shaky start due to lack of experience, the siblings; the father quickly returned to Dordogne, quickly a name in the world of Gironde nightlife. “For 25 years, I felt like I was standing on the podium like an athlete. We walked on water,” he remembers.

Several famous artists of the time (Jean-Pierre Mader, Gérard Blanc and Zouk Machine) sang there, before giving way to DJs. “I saw people passing by. » But “the multiplication of standards” coupled with changes in the habits of revelers gradually eroded revenues until Covid hit the discotheque hard.

He is giving himself 2-3 years to find the perfect buyer.

“Today, the page has been turned,” confides Jean-Marie Musquin. The colorful owner, however, remains melancholy about this glorious period: “There were parties and entertainment every weekend. Now there is nothing left. Prices in nightclubs have become sky-high and are not accessible to everyone. »

Jean-Marie secretly feeds the hope of seeing the disco come back to life. For this, he gives himself 2-3 years to find the rare pearl. “If after that, I really haven't found someone, the premises will be used for other activities. »

But he wants to believe it, “There is definitely a potential buyer”.

Let's hope that this famous rare pearl will show itself quickly, in order to revive the wild evenings in La Réole and its surroundings.

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