At only 24 years old, Benjamin Chaudet has set himself the challenge of his life: taking over the only business in his hometown, La Chapelle-Craonnaise in the South of Mayenne. Since July 18, 2022, he has been behind the counter of his bar-restaurant, which also does groceries, post office and soon a bank! It’s that Les Étangs Anciens is the only business in the town.
Since the retirement of the former owner two years ago, the 330 inhabitants of the town had nothing left nearby. “Of course, there is pressuresmiles Benjamin Chaudet. I tell myself that I shouldn’t miss it because people were expecting that. It’s just me, no one else.”
“It was dead, there was nothing left in the town”
It was the dream of the young Capello-Craonnais to one day open his own restaurant, after having always worked in catering and then in pastry. The health crisis has accelerated things. “When I saw that the La Chapelle-Craonnaise restaurant was closing and that with the Covid-19, there was nothing left in the town, that it was dead, I said to myself ‘come on! Let’s go !“
Meet up, socialize, regroup
Benjamin Chaudet was able to rely on the City and the community of municipalities, owner of the restaurant walls. “So they liked that it was a child of the country who took over. Since I come from La Chapelle-Craonnaise, I know the places and the people well.” An immense satisfaction indeed for the mayor of the commune Gérard Lecot. “Having a last business is also having a social place, a meeting place, a place for exchanges toohe insists. With the pandemic and all the confinements, people now need to find each other, socialize and regroup.“The 330 inhabitants of the town will therefore be able to meet every day of the week, from Monday to Sunday.
Contact : The Ancient Ponds, 11 rue de la Mairie, La Chapelle-Craonnaise 02 43 37 26 79 [email protected]