Affordable Anti-Crisis Dining: A Ten-Euro Meal Plan, Efficient for Every Gram and Centime Spent
Keeping A Float In Tough Times: The Anti-Crisis Menu In Action
For the past three months, a buzz has been spreading in Nancy, Lorraine - an unconventional address claiming fame for its "anti-crisis menu." Operated by Marie-Odile and Jérôme, the duo has been running this eatery for two decades, but high inflation and dwindling customers had left them grappling for survival, despite their prime location on Place Stanislas.
This innovative concept is Marie-Odile's brainchild: an appetizer, main course, and dessert combo for a meager 10 euros. To make this deal irresistible, they thought outside the box. Not only does this menu feature homemade dishes, but they also adopt a clever approach to managing costs - using leftovers creatively (such as beef cheek for a pâté used in appetizers) and weighing each ingredient meticulously. Marie-Odile's kitchen adheres to a strict gram-count to ensure they don't incur a loss, keeping the appetizer and dessert ingredients under 1 euro and the entire menu costing no more than 3.50 euros.
The anti-crisis menu formula isn't limited to the primary attraction. Additional sales are warmly welcomed to boost the bill. To this end, strategically placed items, like "grenadine" (2.90 euros), "beer" (5.50 euros), or "coffee" (2.20 euros), can help improve the restaurant's bottom line. Jérôme, the restaurateur, banks on these extra sales, finding solace in small luxuries their customers can enjoy after savoring their wallet-friendly meal. With the 10 euros spent on the enticing menu, customers can indulge in a small glass of champagne, a Coke, or a glass of white wine - increasings their bill by an average of 50%.
In 2023, the restaurant scene was marred by closures due to surging food and energy prices (+30% since 2021). Marie-Odile and Jérôme have suffered losses amounting to 500,000 euros in four years. Faced with these realities, they extended their anti-crisis menu strategy... and it's working. Compared to spring 2024, their turnover has already increased by 8%. With plans to offer this menu throughout the summer, Jérôme hopes to regain financial stability.
(This report is an excerpt from "Anti-Crisis Menu: The Magic Formula?", to air on June 19, 2025, in "Envoyé spécial" - rebroadcasts available on our website, in the "Magazines" section.)
In the face of rising inflation, the anti-crisis menu at Marie-Odile and Jérôme's eatery in Nancy, Lorraine, has begun to reshape the finance landscape of their lifestyle. By adopting creative cost management strategies and offering reasonable prices for food-and-drink, they have significantly boosted their business, with a 8% increase in turnover compared to spring 2024.
