“New Year’s Day is always a time to offer an unforgettable evening,” explains Jacques Ariello, manager of La Fournaise, a nightclub located in Superdévoluy. In Orcières, Alexis Drain, co-manager of Yeti, chose to open his doors at 10 p.m. on December 31, in order to welcome customers wishing to extend the evening after the restaurant, without having to wait until midnight.
That night, everything is designed to welcome the party-goers in optimal conditions. “We have a lot of reservations, a long waiting list, and customers order their bottles in advance,” explains Alexis Drain. The high attendance is also explained by the reduced number of nightclubs in the department, which concentrates demand. “It’s really our biggest evening of the year” confides Jacques Ariello.
To overcome the constraints linked to geographical distance, certain establishments set up adapted services, such as shuttles connecting the surrounding villages. These places also collaborate with seasonal workers, an essential audience for these nightclubs. In Orcières, a special New Year is dedicated to them on January 2.
Resort nightclubs leverage their seasonal model to remain viable: they operate seven days a week during the winter and scale back business in the summer. But these establishments are also experiencing a drop in attendance and customer purchasing power, trends similar to those observed in the plains.
Despite these challenges, professionals do everything they can to meet expectations. “It’s an important evening, but it’s also a lot of work to make sure everything goes well,” concludes Alexis Drain.
