The Swiss chef’s hope went bankrupt: “It will take years to pay off all the debts”

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The food industry can be cruel sometimes. Antoine Gonnet (35) and his partner Amandine Pivault (31) were awarded 17 points by the gastro magazine “Gault Millau”. Today, Friday, a letter came from the court: Bankruptcy! Pont de Brent restaurant in Montreux no longer offers a 5-course meal for 170 francs or a 7-course meal for 210 francs in the evening.

The two started in 2022. Great, in retrospect it must be said. But as they told Gault Millau, Gonnet and Pivault’s success was not sustainable. “Today we produce 200 fewer envelopes per month than last year,” says Amandine Pivault. “So we had to go into debt and even close the restaurant. We are tired. It’s clear to us: we made mistakes.”

“There was no way out”

Pont de Brent is an excellent address. Chef Frédy Girardet’s closest confidant, Gérard Rabaey, had 19 points and three Michelin stars. Now the small but beautiful dining room remains dark. «It’s very difficult, very emotional. But it was inevitable. We thought over everything carefully and analyzed the overall situation. There is no way out now,” says Gonnet.

In 2023, the number of regular guests suddenly became less than expected. «We probably relied too much on the old feel of the restaurant. Once the initial curiosity subsided, the number of visitors dwindled,” analyzes one of Switzerland’s greatest culinary hopes. The shortage of skilled workers also contributed. “We were very lucky, though: our five chefs were all good guys. But that wasn’t enough.”

“We are looking forward”

They both say they learned a lot today. And add: “Maybe we wouldn’t have captured the Pont de Brent today. We feel like we’ve aged ten years in just a few months. But we grew from that. Maybe we were too ambitious. “We have also invested a lot in materials and personnel.”

There were stages of anger and sadness. But many good memories will remain. And high debts. They say: “It will be years before we all get paid. But we are looking forward to it.” (pbe)

Source :Blick