The restaurant specializing in grilled pork is closing its doors after more than two decades of activity on the Route de Perrin, in Les Abymes. A closure which, for some observers, nevertheless symbolizes the difficulties of a meat industry in crisis in Guadeloupe.
It's the end of an adventure for “Cochon +”, an essential establishment on the Route de Perrin, in Les Abymes, today in liquidation, after being placed in receivership in May 2023.
First a trailer, this establishment created in 2001 by Fabrice Calabre, quickly established itself as a benchmark for grilled pork in Guadeloupe. An adventure which follows the difficulties in the entrepreneur's breeding. He decides to change course by embarking on this ambitious enterprise.
Over the years, success has been achieved. Perrin's restaurant attracts customers, who flock every day to enjoy the house specialties, on site or to take away. “Up to 1,200 meals per day“, explains the manager proudly.
However, “Cochon +” will definitely close its doors. “We did our best… We did everything we could… We tried. In vain…“, confides Fabrice Calabre with a certain bitterness. Twenty employees find themselves directly affected by this closure. Among the main causes: the health crisis, the works of the Nationale, the increase in the costs of raw materials and charges, as well as the decline in purchasing power All factors which, after the Covid-19 pandemic, contributed to reducing the company's turnover by half.
©Guadeloupe
But this closure reveals a larger problem. It affects an already weakened sector: that of meat in Guadeloupe.
Gary Velayandon, president of the artisan butchers of the archipelago, is sounding the alarm. The competent authorities should launch a real plan to revive the profession, according to the professional who explains that the sector is in difficulty not only because of high charges but also unfair competition from clandestine slaughtering. “It is a sector that supports 800 to 900 families“, he insists, evoking the concerns of professionals about the future.
For Gary Velayandon, the job of butcher “has a future but it must be organized“. Aware of the challenges ahead, he hopes that the authorities will listen attentively to the grievances of artisans and put in place the necessary measures to enable the sector to recover.
©Guadeloupe
Despite this setback, Fabrice Calabre remains optimistic. Other establishments of the Cochon + brand will continue to welcome their customers. “Today, what happens at the level of Cochon +, I remain convinced that it is to go elsewhere. Somewhere better… I believe in tomorrow… We will continue“, he concludes, determined to overcome this ordeal and continue his entrepreneurial adventure.
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