how Bordeaux said yes to Coluche, before Paris

We are in the mid-80s. Poverty and unemployment are back in France. People no longer have enough to eat, while all over Europe, surplus food is stored or destroyed rather than being distributed.

In September 1985, on the daily show he hosted on Europe 1, Coluche launched « his little idea like that”: create a free canteen operating thanks to donations, and by recovering surplus food, instead of destroying them. “We are in the land of food. It truly is the land of gastronomy. This is not where people are going to die of hunger,” says the comedian.

The “heart to heart” Chaban-Coluche

The idea of ​​Restos du coeur (at the time, we said and wrote “Restaurants du coeur”) was born. You still have to open them. Coluche goes on tour. On Saturday, November 25, he was in Bordeaux to meet and convince the former mayor, Chaban-Delmas. It won't be difficult.

In Mériadeck, in the heart of the city

“Bordeaux will have its Restaurant du coeur”, headlined “Sud Ouest” the next day. The comedian and the elected official agreed to realize this idea for which Paris (whose mayor is a certain Jacques Chirac, historic rival of Chaban) is still hesitant.

“The future Restaurant in the heart of the city will soon be located in Mériadeck, in the heart of the city,” explains the newspaper. This is where Coluche met Chaban, at the end of the morning, at 30 rue Claude-Bonnier (550 seats possible, or a gigantic storage center for food to be redistributed). “And the two former candidates for the presidency of the Republic perfectly agreed on this generous idea, which will satisfy the poor while avoiding the waste of the wealthy.” Sup de Co students will provide their support, ensuring management, in collaboration with already existing organizations.

Micheline's little touch

“This guy is a good guy”

Micheline, Chaban's wife who died on November 15, 2024, is no stranger to the success of the affair. “It was she who allowed my association to access the Fondation de France,” enthuses the singer. “Coluche offers us his popularity, let's take advantage of it, especially since he does this without ulterior motives or careerist views,” says Chaban. “This guy is a good guy,” retorts the comedian, recognizing that the mayor of Bordeaux stands out from traditional politicians.

“There is no shame in being rich. If there are more and more poor people in France today, it is up to the rich to help them.”

With a full figure, Coluche never hid the fact that he loved good food. He took advantage of his stay in Bordeaux to have two gourmet meals, one at lunchtime with Chaban and Madame, at Jean-Marie Amat in Bouliac, the second in the evening with a few friends, Place du Parlement, at “Philippe”, the specialist Bordeaux fish and seafood. “But there is no shame in being rich,” he commented, adding that if there are more and more poor people currently in France, it is good to the rich to help them. »

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Pontet-Canet and Giresse

Coluche's tour also took in a crowd on rue Sainte-Catherine, the Marché des Capucins and the Salon auto-moto, before ending at Numéro Cinq, a select piano bar frequented by everyone in Bordeaux. The next day, a Sunday, he headed to Médoc, where he spent several hours at Château Pontet-Canet. For dessert, the owners offered him a 1944 vintage, his date of birth. Delicate attention.

“I was given money everywhere. Even the footballer, what do you call him? Ah, yes, Giresse! He also promised me that he was going to try to organize – outside the championship – a match between the Girondins and PSG. Nice guy! »

But above all, Coluche gleaned several important checks during his Gironde stay. “A little over a hundred thousand francs” counted one of the Sup de Co students who will now manage the operation. “I was given money everywhere,” added the comedian. Even the footballer, what do you call him? Ah, yes, Giresse! He also promised me that he was going to try to organize – outside the championship – a match between the Girondins and PSG. Nice guy! »

More than 300 packed lunches in Bordeaux

On Saturday December 21, 1985, the first “Restos du coeur” opened their doors in 18 cities in France, including Bordeaux. For the occasion, their founder traveled in person to Gennevilliers, (Hauts-de-Seine), in the marquee set up by the volunteers, where the 40th distribution campaign was launched this Tuesday, November 19, 2024. In duplex in Antenne 2's midday news, Coluche explains that the mobilization should allow the association to distribute between 34,000 and 37,000 meals per day in France. He hopes to gradually increase this figure to 60,000 meals, to reach the goal of 200,000.

In Bordeaux, “Sud Ouest” told us the next day, the success was total. This first distribution took place on rue Claude-Bonnier, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with the entire Sup de Co Bordeaux team, who, as we know, took charge of the management of the matter. On the menu for the complete meal, carried in a discreet pocket and prepared by a dietician, “your choice of beef bourguignon, sauerkraut or cassoulet, accompanied by a salad, fennel or carrots, followed by yogurt or pasta cheese, fruit in syrup, all accompanied by a quarter of bread.” Who came to eat on rue Claude-Bonnier? According to the journalist who was there, “mainly relatively young unemployed people, immigrants, adolescents (perhaps students?) but also marginalized people attracted by the principle of free access without being labeled or put on file”.

Finally, in 1985, 850,000 meals were distributed by Restos du coeur. Did Coluche imagine the scale that food insecurity would take, in a society where poverty continues to increase, and the importance of its association, four decades later? What the comedian, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1986, knew – and said – was that his distribution capacity, initially 5 million meals per winter, was set to increase: “10 million, 20 million…” She distributed 163 million in 2023.