The Odyssée complex in Saint-Christophe-sur-Dolaizon recently changed hands. It still needs to overcome a few obstacles to really develop.
The business of the Odyssée complex in Saint-Christophe-sur-Dolaizon changed hands last summer. It was taken over by Éric Barrier, who operates it with his partner Marie-Anne Vurli (as an employee). Created 23 years ago by Denis Gagne, bowling was losing momentum a little. The owner chose to cede the walls to a Norman company.
The buyers of the fund would have been ready to buy the building, which could not be done. They come from Isère. He was a technical director in a bakery equipment company, she in hairdressing. Both, in the business for a long time, were looking for an activity linked to the public. They were immediately attracted “by the potential”, they say, of the Saint-Christophe-sur-Dolaizon company.
“We first came here two years ago as a customer. The bowling alley was already on sale,” confides Éric Barrier. We mainly talk about bowling, but the complex also includes laser game, various games, bar, snacks. It is in this area that the problem lies since the buyers took office. They have still not managed to find the staff they need, namely two or three people. At the moment, they only have one waitress. “We’re getting by. We already do aperitif dinners for groups, but we would like to develop daily snacking. There is a real demand,” assures the operator, who also wishes to develop a karaoke room. The commercial space offers him the possibility.
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The recovery of the Odyssey, its operators agree, was a little laborious. They had to refresh the interior while waiting to undertake other work (the parking lot was paved last summer), above all to win back customers, give themselves a new image, rediscover the sense of welcome that the leisure space seemed to have lost, judging by the criticism it received on the internet recently. A somewhat toxic context, with rumors and other erroneous information online, made the beginnings complicated. Éric Barrier reports: “A customer even told us that she thought the Odyssey had burned! »
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The operator remains determined. “There is no question,” he said, “of giving up.” He also plans to restore the five chalets that are part of the complex. They were until recently occupied by Ukrainian families. The site also has a hammam swimming pool area, which the buyers still do not have. Space which had been sublet by the previous operator. “In principle, the chalets work with the swimming pool”, estimates Marie-Anne Vurli who regrets: “If we chose this complex it is precisely because it offered many possibilities. » The couple claims to receive encouragement from the town hall of Saint-Christophe-sur-Dolaizon, keen to develop a real commercial sector in the town.
Nostalgia for “the good old days”
“Customers tell us about the good old days when they went bowling, but also to the Le Marquis nightclub. We aim to breathe new life into a new space for relaxation and leisure,” says Marie-Anne Vurli. The Odyssée complex is next to the Air du temps dance hall which can offer an additional activity on weekends.
For the moment, operators are generally satisfied with the first three months of attendance. “Welcoming the customer, a smile, a kind word, a little humor, finding a clean place, that's what was missing. Far from us the idea of changing everything overnight,” says Marie-Anne Vurli. And his companion adds: “Before coming here, we had visited several bowling alleys, particularly in the Lyon region. Some required special attire. We are aware that we are in Haute-Loire. Here, people are looking for a more relaxed, friendly and family atmosphere.”
Opening. The Odyssée complex is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 3 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 3 to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m.
Philippe Suc
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