Administrative closure of the La Marine restaurant in Cap d’Agde: owner Jean-Marc Giordano defends himself

Le restaurant est ouvert sur les quais du Centre Port depuis 1984. MIDI LIBRE – OLIVIER RAYNAUD

Having been subject to an administrative closure until further notice, the establishment on the Quai de Beaupré will reopen its doors next spring, assures its owner, who is stepping up to the plate.

On the internet, it is not the most famous address in Cap d'Agde. But even if he likes to respond to his digital detractors rather head-on (read elsewhere), Jean-Marc Giordano doesn't care about that.

From 300 to 500 meals per day in summer

This week, his restaurant, La Marine, created by his parents in 1984 on the docks of Cap d'Agde, was subject to an administrative closure until further notice by the authorities. Reason given:“persistent non-conformities in terms of good hygiene practices.” A real shame for the restaurateur, who could obviously have done without this bad publicity. “I'm suffering!”, he says bluntly. “This is my 41st season here, we do between 300 and 500 meals a day in the summer. It's true that there are sometimes negative comments, but when you have so many people eating, there are bound to be some dissatisfied people. There are also families who have been coming to us for three generations."

Five inspections since the beginning of the year

Since the beginning of the year, the establishment has been inspected five times by the authorities. “We opened in March and at the beginning of April, agents came and carried out a thorough inspection, checking temperatures across the entire production line. They even rubbed the switches and ended up criticising me on the layout of the restaurant, without warning.”

The owner of La Marine emphasises that he regularly has the restaurant monitored by the Biofaq laboratory in Montpellier. “They take readings in the dishes that we produce the most, such as chicken, paella, squid or sea bream, surface samples, in the plates, temperature readings… Everything is recorded in a binder."

A collective food poisoning

Despite these precautions, the services of the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP) ordered the closure of the establishment, after a new inspection carried out on September 20, which followed two others carried out during the summer, “as part of an investigation into a collective food poisoning, at the request of the Regional Health Agency.”

Serious accusations, which Jean-Marc Giordano wishes to qualify: “The government services have never been able to provide me with proof that the poisoned customers had really eaten at our place. Nor the nature of the bacteria, which has not been identified. There is no expired food, no poisoning, simply, in my opinion, suspicions of poisoning. Afterwards, I know that I make people envious…" The boss does not rule out the possibility of a false snitching, but also specifies that he is speaking today to "give explanations to customers, especially the most loyal ones. All season, I have my restaurant inspected. Frankly, I wonder."

The team will be here next summer!

Today, La Marine is exposed to a fine of 1,500 euros and will not be able to reopen "until compliance has been certified by a State inspection officer" And while he wasn't planning on opening the restaurant for the Boat Show (October 30 – November 3), Jean-Marc Giordano is optimistic about the future: "We'll still be here next season. We'll keep working."

Things are heating up on social media

Jean-Marc Giordano doesn't hide it: "I regularly respond to overly negative reviews on social media. Let's say that I have my little community with whom we get warm, we sometimes insult each other. Well, I have to admit that at the moment, I'm taking a lot of flak! " 

With two stars out of five in Google reviews and a poor ranking on TripAdvisor, La Marine's “e-reputation” is not a model of its kind. But in the summer, the restaurant, which practices an aggressive pricing policy based on volumes sold, is often full. A tourist trap for some, a cheap address for others. To each his own opinion.

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