At Coco-plage, an emblematic place in Sarthe, what future for the Embarcadère restaurant?

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In Sillé-le-Guillaume, more precisely at Coco-plage, an emblematic place in Sarthe, the Embarcadère restaurant is unoccupied for almost two years. What about its future?

“We are looking for a catering professional capable of offering quality cuisine that highlights local products and fits perfectly into the unique setting of Sillé Plage. The aim is to create a welcoming space for both locals and the many tourists who visit this natural site each year. We want an innovative projectrespectful of the environment, which contributes to the attractiveness of the territory”, writes Fanny HattonResponsible for Economic and Tourist Development of the 4CPS.

At Coco-plage, an emblematic place in Sarthe, what future for the Embarcadère restaurant?

It is in these terms that the Community of Communes of Champagne Conlinoise and Pays de Sillé recently launched its second Call for Expressions of Interest (AMI) for the operation of the Embarcadère restaurant, located on the classified natural site of Sillé Plage, an emblematic place in Sarthe.

“This project aims to revitalize the site while preserving its exceptional setting,” insists Fanny Haton.

A first failure

Understand from this that the resumption of the Embarcadère announced a few months ago fell through.

“We received a candidate who was considered reliableand this, in the presence, among others, of a banker, the Chamber of Trades, the DREAL (Regional Directorate of Environment and Development), the DDT (Departmental Directorate of Territories). The file was well put together and we believed that it would come to fruition quite quickly. Ultimately, things dragged on and the buyer withdrew. He told us that he could not find a professional restorer as we required,” said Gérard Galpinmayor of Sillé and vice-president of the 4CPS in charge of tourism and tourist heritage.

Too sudden an increase in rent

The latter, born in Saint-Georges-le-Gaultier, remembers the good times of Coco-Plage. “When I was a teenager, I came there on a moped with friends. There were at least five restaurants and we could play table football and pinball at Richefeu's. There was quite an atmosphere on the site. Unfortunately, only two restaurants were able to resist: Le Refuge du trappeur and Embarcadère. The latter had to lower the curtain in his turn.”

As a reminder, the owner of the Embarcadère could not bear such a brutal and sudden increase in rent. The case ended up in court and the latter sided with the 4CPS.

“We had two options following this affair. The tenant should have been required to dismantle the establishment. We didn't do it thinking that someone would take over the business fairly quickly. The second possibility was to raze the Embarcadère ourselves and build a brand new building. This solution was not adopted by the community of municipalities. »

Important works

But how is it that the Embarcadère hasn’t found a buyer for over a year?

“The current building requires work, including exterior insulation and interior fittings, redoing the kitchen and toilets. And if we also count all the equipment necessary for the restoration, we need an envelope of around 400,000 euros », says Gérard Galpin. To get involved, you have to have strong backs.

“This time, the 4CPS proposes to carry out exterior design for repayment spread over ten years “. It is important to specify that Sillé-plage is a protected site. The Community of Communes follows what is decided by state services.

“There is a real wait”

“To get started, you must not give in to pessimism. On the contrary, you have to take the project with enthusiasm, underlines Gérard Galpin. The location of the Embarcadère is exceptional. »

“The terrace overlooks the beach with a superb view of the site. We almost have our feet in the water! A true professional who wants to work can earn his living without worry. You should know that Sillé-plage is very busy. When the weather is nice, the site welcomes around 10,000 people, especially on weekends. ! We receive 100 coaches during the tourist season! Unfortunately, visitors do not eat on site because we do not have the capacity to accommodate a hundred people in a room at Sillé-plage. With the Embarcadère, this will be possible. There is a good vein to exploit. Obviously we need a new restaurant in Sillé-plage. There is a real wait. »

Soon the verdict

To meet this desire of the local population and tourists, we must go through DREAL and company who must find the balance between the economy and the protection of nature.

It is possible and this is why the 4CPS is doing everything it can to achieve this goal. His efforts to find a catering pro to treat you could come to fruition soon. Com com is currently studying the applications.

Who doesn't want Coco, a sacred place for many generations, to restore its image?

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