The Montauban commercial court has ruled, Le Bibent is now in the hands of Thomas Fantini and Jean-Nicolas Baylet.
Their two groups Esprit Pergo and La Dépêche du Midi were in fact chosen to buy the business of this famous brewery for 2.4 million euros.
“When you're in this profession, it's a kid's dream,” says Thomas Fantini, at the head of a key player in the Toulouse region, bringing together restaurants (La Pergola, Ernest, etc.) and catering (Falcou Caterer, Atelier Pergo…).
An emblematic place in the Pink City created in 1870, Le Bibent, located on the Place du Capitole, saw star chef Christian Constant take up the kitchen in 2011, under the leadership of entrepreneur Thierry Oldak.
But with the Covid crisis and management problems, the latter was forced to file for bankruptcy.
The two new buyers therefore wish to relaunch this institution.
“It’s a human adventure with Jean-Nicolas.
We've known each other for a long time and, if we wanted to do something together, we wanted a great challenge.
It's the case.
We took possession of the premises this Monday.
We discover and work on the overall strategy,” says Thomas Fantini.
“It must remain one of the most beautiful places in Toulouse”
If the desire is to revive Le Bibent, there is no question of changing everything.
“It must remain one of the most beautiful places in Toulouse.
We need beautiful cuisine, a high-end brasserie that remains accessible to Toulouse residents,” continues the business manager who has 200 permanent employees in his various activities.
“We want to rely on the strengths present within Bibent and in my teams, with my assistant Maxime Delbosc, who has a culinary background in starred restaurants.
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And since good news never comes alone, the Esprit Pergo group won the call for tenders for the concession of the Zénith bars in Toulouse at the start of the year.
A long-standing project since Thomas Fantini's teams already work there as a caterer.
“We thought we could bring something new, a local touch to the products, quality…” Another “very sporty” challenge to take on for this oval ball lover, also involved in Medef 31.