“Subway, work, sleep… I can’t take it anymore. I dream of leaving the capital and going to live on an island! » Have you also already heard/said/thought this sentence? Well, Marion did it! The story is (much) shortened but this young woman of 33, who worked in the field of management control, worked for Dior and LVMH, did indeed take her suitcases, heading to Spain and then to the island of Majorca . With one project in mind: opening his own coffee shop. For this “retraining” series, she shared with 20 minutes his experience and advice on getting started.
How did this idea of reconversion come to you?
To tell the truth, it has always been in the back of my mind. I have always loved baking, making people happy, welcoming them, making them feel good and having a good time, making them simply happy.
I had always told myself that I wanted to open a small café. When I finished my studies, I worked for four years at Dior, in Orléans, then in Paris. I had a break before changing companies, and during these few months, a friend and I were thinking about setting up a coffee project in the capital. Ultimately, that didn’t happen and I joined the team at Make Up For Ever, the cosmetics brand of the LVMH group, still in management control. I loved this job, the atmosphere and what I did there. I left my position in 2021 for personal reasons and moved to Valencia, Spain.
There, it was more difficult to find work in the field for which I was qualified. The idea of the café reappeared when I met a girl who had the same project. Unfortunately, we were unable to find premises and she returned to France. But my desire to one day open my own establishment remained.
How did this desire finally come to fruition?
I went on vacation to the Balearic Islands, where I met my current partner. A few years earlier, he had embarked on the project of a hotel in the village of Sóller, in Majorca. Before that, he had lots of different jobs. It was he who gave me the strength to make my project a reality. I think I would never have dared if he had not deconstructed the possibility of failure. He proved to me, through his experiences, that it was worth taking this risk. He inspired me.
Once I moved to the island, it happened very quickly. In a few months, we found premises on the village square. Three months later, the La Station cafeteria bar opened. It was ultimately not a coffee shop, which didn’t really fit with the image and atmosphere of this very touristy Spanish village.
What was hardest was taking the plunge because I’m someone who doesn’t like risk. My biggest obstacle was the financial question. I was afraid of working like crazy so as not to earn anything. I was leaving a comfortable life. And then, I knew that the restaurant industry was very stressful, that you had to be passionate to get started, that it was a complicated field, for which I had no training.
How did your loved ones react to the announcement of this professional change?
I talked about this project so much that it didn’t surprise those around me. And then, I didn’t have time to tell everyone. Having the hotel and the bar was a bit too much for my partner and me. We therefore decided to close La Station at the end of the season, that is to say, last month, and to concentrate on the hotel.
What lessons have you learned from this experience?
I’m really happy to have done it, even if we only opened for five months. I have no regrets. At least now I know I can do it. Even though it was difficult and I had to learn a lot of different skills at the time. I had, for example, never had responsibilities before, never people to manage or orders to give. There, I was manager of three employees. In addition to human relations, you have to manage everything administrative, in Spanish. I also had to adapt to a very stressful pace to which I was not accustomed. Behind a computer, I managed my time as I wanted, there are clients, often demanding, who dictate it. Plus, they leave comments. This aspect is special. We criticize our work without embarrassment and this is what makes our reputation.
But I succeeded. And we had a lot of success. Moreover, the premises were immediately taken over. When I arrived in Valencia, I thought I would never get there. I am proud of myself, of this first project brought to fruition.
A first ? There are others ?
Yes (laughs). That of opening guest rooms. It’s funny because my partner and I also agree on this. It will perhaps be in Mallorca or in France. I’m also not closed to returning to the field I was in before. I am not, as with certain cases of retraining, disgusted with what I was doing. Why not, also, combine these two backgrounds and be in the management or administration of a restaurant.
What advice would you give to people who are hesitant about getting into the hotel or restaurant business?
On the question of opening something in a country other than your own, I would advise taking your time. You don’t necessarily have to leave everything at once but rather start by going back and forth. Look at what is happening elsewhere and proceed step by step. This provides security if it doesn’t work the first time. Then, you have to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary of the field and the country and then all the administrative side specific to the place where you are.
Another piece of advice: avoid telling everyone that you are leaving everything to open the project of your dreams. It was my friend from Valencia’s mistake. Those close to her then had a lot of expectations and asked her (too often) questions to find out where she was. It adds pressure when we already make enough demands on ourselves personally as it is.
But generally speaking, I would say that if you like it, if you are ready to invest and you also have the capacity to bounce back, you should take the plunge. It’s really worth it. If you feel it, you have to go for it. It’s a great adventure. I was hesitant since 2018. It was a recurring thing that kept coming back. Looking back, I can say that if I had to do it again, I would do it.