The restaurant L'Escale, a true "Mecca" for travelers passing through the Route du Soleil, closed in August due to a lack of staff. The disappointed owner, Dominique Thomas, speaks out: it's the first time since 1937.
The news
Some restaurant owners, as known, prefer to close their businesses during the summer, but that's not the case with L'Escale: the renowned French venue had to stop in August, even though with a heavy heart. 56 employees work here year-round, every dish on the menu is homemade, and on average, 600 guests are served daily. Always open, the L'Escale restaurant, located near Châteauroux, is the largest roadside establishment in all of France. Travelers fill it day and night. However, for the first time in its history, this true institution on the holiday route remained closed from August 7th to 20th due to a lack of staff.
From his post at the beginning of the road in Déols, north of Châteauroux along the A 20, Dominique Thomas, the owner, declares: "Except during the pandemic emergency, L'Escale had never closed: it has always been open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, since 1937! After Covid, there was a change: the venue stopped on Sunday evenings, and the nighttime service was reduced on weekdays. I had around thirty waiters and 24 chefs, but currently, both are reduced to 18 members, and we can't expand the team."
This year, therefore, there's a lack of reinforcements in the dining area and the kitchen. And the issue is much more serious, it's a matter of mentality and society: "No one wants to work in the restaurant industry anymore," the owner frustratedly explains. "Unfortunately, it's the way things are, but the discomfort is immense. People don't want to toil; they prefer idling around on social media." Tourists, accustomed to taking a well-deserved break in Indre, will have to forego one of their favorite stops on one of Europe's largest roads. But the boss wants to keep smiling, despite it all: "We'll be back in September and we'll always serve plenty of guests."
