Born in Pontoise, in the Val d’Oise, and having lived until recent years in the Paris region, Olivia Viallard, 25, dreamed of space, nature and above all of no longer spending her life in traffic jams. In 2019, following a classified ad, she landed a permanent contract with Pat’apain. She works in Bourges and Nevers as needed. In February 2021, she buys a country house in Lapan.
Holder of a BTS in the hotel and catering industry, the young woman has in the back of her mind the project of opening a restaurant “but with the Covid, I had abandoned the idea for the moment”, she confides. It was then that she learned from a neighbor that the business of the village restaurant, whose walls belong to the town, was for sale., moreover at an affordable price.
Closed for a year
The establishment had been closed for over a year, the previous manager having thrown in the towel during the second confinement when the restaurants were forced to close again. Olivia Viallard resigned/converted and obtained support from the Initiative Cher platform, which enabled her to make her project a reality. The restaurant is the only business within a radius of 10 km.
Since December 15, it has offered traditional cuisine for lunch and dinner. On the menu: sauerkraut, stuffed tomatoes, paupiettes, andouillettes… In homage to her grandmother who ran a café-restaurant for twenty years in Génicourt (Val d’Oise) and who plays a major role in her vocation, she renamed the place Like at Grandma’s. The portrait of her grandmother hangs above the bar.
Word of mouth works well
Despite the health context, she is starting to make a clientele thanks to word of mouth and the support of the mayor of the town, Anne Raduget. “She sends me clients”, specifies Olivia Viallard. Her sister, whom she will soon hire, and her mother help her during services.
The health situation does not particularly worry him. It already offers take-out, especially for people who do not have a health pass, and she will soon start her pizza oven. “If I ever have to close, I’ll set up a necessities sale, which I plan to do later.”, she explains. It will also soon be a parcel relay and plans to offer themed evenings.