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It was in 2020 that Olivier and Levana decided to leave everything behind to go to Bon-Encontre in Lot-et-Garonne to open “L’Auberge du Centre”, located rue de la République. A difficult start since after having opened on October 26, the second confinement forced them to close four days later as reported South West in a dedicated article. For three years, it was difficult for the couple to get their heads above water. “We opened between curfews. We could see that things were going well in the village, but there was the story of the health passes, which gave us a blow. Finally, we were forced to close at the beginning of the week, because it was not profitable”deplores Olivier Burgaud to our colleagues.
In order to save the establishment, some regulars decide to give the managers a helping hand. They then contact the show in December 2022. “In February, production calls us; we welcomed chef Philippe Etchebest right away.”
It is finally on June 16, 2023 that viewers discover the couple on television in a new episode of “Nightmare in the Kitchen”. An episode which will be rebroadcast in February of this year 2024.
A filming which was intended at first glance to be beneficial for the couple of restaurateurs. In fact, four months after Philippe Etchebest’s visit, they confided to Sud Ouest that they had a real “electric shock”. Moreover, the new menus developed with Philippe Etchebest had attracted a new clientele as had the renovated decoration of the establishment. The path then seemed to be traced and the future looked serene.
After the show, the couple admitted to having received a strong wave of support, particularly on the Internet. The public was touched by their story. Unfortunately, despite the momentum after the program, restaurant attendance is not changing and above all not increasing and the 2023 summer season is set to be particularly complicated for the couple who just decided a few days ago, on March 27, the closure of the establishment.
The news was announced via a Facebook post: “Hello everyone, We are forced to go into liquidation. The future of catering is very complicated. We have tried to keep pace with current inflation. But currently this is not possible. We decided to close our business because I ended up having medical injuries. And life is stronger than anything. We thank everyone who believed in us, big kisses to all and thank you for everything.”
Today, financial problems have caught up with the couple who are really struggling to get by even beyond their professional lives. From now on, their financial problem also impacts their personal life and their daily lives, as they explain to our colleagues: “The bank closed our account and no longer wanted to hear from us from the moment we thought about recovery. We no longer have a bank card, no more work and no more restaurants”.
