Beginning from scratch

[water rat]

The Gdf meeting  was interesting........... The hygiene course will be obligatory for everyone serving TdH regardless of how long they've already been doing it,but they did emphasise this is being brought in as the result of lobbying by the Hotel/restaurant brigade. I agree,Quillan, it is a good idea,but if it truly concerned hygiene it would apply to anyone serving food ,even breakfast. The rather more vociferous Ch d'oters agreed this was the slippery slope and soon we won't be allowed to serve our own produce ,even tho this is at the centre of td'h. We will wait and see as "they" may backtrack,perhaps a shorter and cheaper course for all will make common sense.

The new grille classement......! that's a whole new story!

[fanny75]

I agree, if the new course was for hygiene alone then it should be relevant for all meals, and so for everyone.  Perhaps it will eventually.  I suppose that the hoteliers and restauranteurs may feel that by offering a table d'hote you are keeping custom from them, perhaps they'll improve what they offer too.

On a separate note, and one my translator pointed out - what do people do with regards to insurance?  I haven't looked at any past posts yet so I'm sorry if this is already answered, but again, all tips & advice is very welcome.

Thanks for all the input so far.

[Gastines]

Reading through your posts and the many replies,it would seem that you might be giving yourself a rather large headache before you start or know what income/profit is in it at the end. Chambre d'hote with breakfast seems the best first step. I think in 7 years and hundreds of B& Bers ,I think 2 asked about meals. Both English!! There are over 100 restaurants within a few miles so little point in us offering a meal when part of the holiday experience is surely eating out. Obviously depends if you are in the sticks miles from anywhere.regarding insurance cover,your house insurer will provide public liability cover.Usually they visit the premises count your number of letting rooms,see the state of the place and charge accordingly. I believe our cover for 5 rooms was somewhere around 60 euros. We had a visitors book from the mairie to log in people,good for getting address and car reg on arrival and we had to pay 25 cents per night per person. Easy to do your tax return etc.etc. Chambre de Commerce will do your paperwork for Urssaf etc for about 55euros . Save yourself a lot of headaches the first year and then see where you are going profit wise before you lay out hundreds joining this that and the other.

[Wilko]

Hi .............I think that Gatsines gave you excellent advice. If you think about it your margins on B&B are enormous, meals not even close. See what works for you and don't worry too much about French regulations. You will have enough problems when you become cotisised (is that a word ?)

I wish you well in your endeavour, but remember filling beds is a whole lot more profitable than cooking. TVA is 19.6% on food and 5.5% on beds......

Bonne chance Wilko

[water rat]

Yes, Gastines hit the nail on the head. You need to look in your locality for the availability of restaurants/eateries to guage if its worth doing t'd'h. Our nearest restaurant is 10 min drive and has changed hands 3 times in the last 6 years so we have great demand for meals. It often happens that guests who arrive late presume there are restaurants nearby so usually we keep T d'H on standby. Once ,guests arrived late and hungry so as it was a friday sent them to our nearest town which has a pizza van, only on fridays!

 To be honest, like many on this forum ,we wait for any authorities to contact us ,regarding any red- tape. You don't want to go searching for it. A good accountant is worth his/her weight in gold.

Bon Courage

[Benjamin]

[quote user="Wilko"]

TVA is 19.6% on food and 5.5% on beds......

Bonne chance Wilko[/quote]

I know of only two local restaurants who lowered their prices last Summer but hasn't the TVA dropped to 5.5% also or was it just a short term reduction?

[fanny75]

Thank you again for all the advice, and support.  I am determined to get my place up and running, and in some moments of madness I've even thought about doing the 3 day course!  My interest has largely stemmed from my time in the Alps - does anyone know about the runnings of a ski-chalet, because as far as I can tell a chalet is very much like a table d'hote - renting out bedrooms in your own home, breakfast and an evening meal all sitting at the table etc - is it a departmental thing, or are they totally different?  Just a thought...

[Chancer]

[quote user="Benjamin"][quote user="Wilko"]
TVA is 19.6% on food and 5.5% on beds...... Bonne chance Wilko[/quote]

I know of only two local restaurants who lowered their prices last Summer but hasn't the TVA dropped to 5.5% also or was it just a short term reduction?
[/quote]

No it was for the long term and despite them threatening sanctions against those who didnt pass on part of the saving (they only asked for the fixed menu and a couple of other items to be reduced by an amount less than the TVA reduction) most of them have just trousered the saving.

A couple of nights ago there was an article on TV citing recent results showing that trade had dropped throughout the restauration business last year, the only businesses reporting growth were the fast food chains and surprise surprise the 15%  the premises that did drop their prices.

Just desserts for the others I thought.

I have stopped eatig out as locally no restaurants dropped their prices in fact most put them up.