The Barrière Group now has more than 150 restaurants and bars. Can you give us an overview of this portfolio and the philosophy behind it?
Hippolyte Gras : Yes, we currently have around 150 restaurants and bars across France, mainly in our 33 casinos and 20 hotels, but also internationally, notably in Saint Barthélemy, Marrakesh, New York and Switzerland. This diversity illustrates the richness of the group: from high-volume, accessible and efficient restaurants to gourmet establishments, some of which have been awarded Michelin stars.
Over the past two years, under the leadership of Grégory Rabuel, we have carried out a major repositioning and investment programme to restore the strategic importance of catering within the group.
How do you manage to maintain consistency between such varied concepts?
H.G. : The key is to embrace this diversity. In casinos, catering meets a need for efficiency and speed — it complements the gaming experience. In independent hotels and restaurants, we aim for a more refined experience and a carefully crafted atmosphere.
We have set up dedicated teams for each type of establishment: specific management for casinos and a culinary department led by Julien Chicoisne, Executive Chef, who comes from the world of haute cuisine. The aim is to have a consistent vision while respecting local specificities.
We have also introduced ‘essential’ technical data sheets to standardise our fundamentals: a good club sandwich or Caesar salad must be flawless, whether you are in Deauville or Cannes.
The summer of 2025 seems to have been a very good season for your establishments. What lessons have you learned from this?
H.G. : The summer was exceptional, with 680,000 meals served in July and August, up 8% on 2024 and 12% on 2023 — a historic record for the group.
The seaside restaurants performed particularly well…
