Engineer in aeronautics in Toulouse, he leaves everything to become an innkeeper in the Pyrenees
By Hugues-Olivier Dumez
Published on
It’s a radical life change. At 34, Aurélien Cartade decided to drop everything to take over an inn in Beaudeana small village of Pyrenees.
This lover of Lesponne Valleyclose to Bagneres de Bigorre (Hautes-Pyrénées), was a former aeronautical engineer. He worked in the region of Toulouse for a subcontractorAirbus.
A cafe of yesteryear
But for the past few months, Aurélien has revived “Gabrielle’s”, a café of yesteryear, fallen into disuse. The establishment is both a bar, a restaurant and a grocery store. It also has six rooms for people passing through.
“I knew the place, I had spent holidays there,” he told Actu.fr. In recent years, the hostel was very little open. She had lost her soul a bit. Upon learning that the establishment was for sale, I offered myself immediately. Almost on a whim! And I resigned from my job as an engineer.
This 180 degree turn, Aurélien assumes it completely. “An engineer is a person who knows how to adapt to all situations,” he stresses.
An institution in the valley
In this adventure, the entrepreneur teamed up with three people, including a breeder who provides the veal for the restaurant and a seller of traditional wooden games to equip the bar and “allow customers to spend convivial moments”.
This typical Pyrenees inn has existed “for at least 110 years”, “it is an institution in the valley”. And to add:
Our opening on May 20, we have since had a parade of alumni who frequented this place in the past. The feedback is very positive. For us, it was almost as important as the opinion of the safety committee! Each one brings a testimony or an anecdote concerning Gabrielle and the place.
“It’s a risky project”
Of course, the project requires time and energy. “It’s a risky project,” he says. “If I wanted to make money, I wouldn’t have started! We are not going to become millionaires with an inn in the Pyrenees”.
But Aurélien and his associates have “the feeling of serving both the inhabitants of the valley and the tourists”. A public service mission? “The valley is touristy, but our ambition is to also capture off-season customers. That’s why we are open all year round”.
Head full of projects
Aurélien is teeming with ideas for the future. The basement of the building is currently being renovated. “It could serve as a guinguette for the elders on Sunday afternoons or as a large dormitory for 15 people for hikers”, he concluded.
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