Le République
A restaurant for all
Until the first COVID lockdown, chef Sébastien Richard used to work in high gastronomy. But then he had the crazy notion of starting a community restaurant in Marseille. Not so crazy, as it turned out.
By Clotilde Roux
Les Tables du République, misent en valeur par l’artiste Gaetan Marron, vous proposent de vivre en toute intimité, des expériences gustatives exceptionnelles avec la découverte de deux chefs emblématiques, deux Sébastien’s, Richard et Cortez.
I wanted a community restaurant rather than a canteen. A place that would attract a mix of people, some of whom aren’t used to being welcomed and served at table,” he says. So, with 40 other chefs, including Gérald Passédat, Nadia Sammut, Alexandre Mazzia, Sylvestre Wahid and Emmanuel Perrodin, he founded the non-profit La Petite Lili. Since February 2022, the 200-seat Le République, renovated and beautifully decorated, offers meals for €1 to people sent by charities or social services. “We make no distinction between full-price guests and the rest,” says Sébastien. The restaurant comprises a gastronomic restaurant with a €130 menu, a bistro, a tapas bar and a cocktail bar. Beneficiaries have the same menus, the same welcome and the same service, for just €1. As well as welcoming the underprivileged, La Peite Lili wanted to train new workforce entrants. Today, 14 of the 20 staff at Le République are in a workforce integration programme.” So does it work? “We get terrific feedback. We’re showing that a new restaurant dining model is possible and that a restaurant can be a social integration business.” It’s working so well that La Petite Lili is working with Festin, another non-profit, on a project about diet, and with the La Varappe group to open a new restaurant in Aubagne in 2024.
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