Alexandre Mazzia is forced to close his food-truck until further notice due to lack of location.

-

Adrien Max / 20 Minutes

  • Alexandre Mazzia, two-star chef, inaugurated “Michel”, his food truck, in front of his AM restaurant during the second closure of restaurants to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • But for lack of a location, the chef is now forced to close his food-truck.

    The former municipality had granted it a first location, which was finally canceled by a call for projects launched by the new municipality, the results of which are still not known.

A short-lived joy, both for the customers and for the chef.

The news made the rounds of the media and social networks, Alexandre Mazzia, two-star chef in the Michelin Guide, inaugurated his Michel food-truck, in tribute to his grandfather, on October 1.

He installed it in front of his AM restaurant, in Marseille, during the second wave of restaurant closures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the chef is already forced to close it until further notice, for lack of a location.

It was initially due to open at the beginning of the summer: the former municipality of Jean-Claude Gaudin had given it a first location.

But with the postponement of the second round of municipal elections, and the election of a new municipality led by environmentalist Michèle Rubirola, plans have changed.

"Right in my boots"

“The new municipality launched a call for projects for food trucks just after being elected, which effectively canceled the allocation of my first location.

I responded to this call for projects but since then I have not heard from ”, Alexandre Mazzia explained to us on Tuesday.

pic.twitter.com/f4rIWuyTcO

- Alexandre Mazzia (@AlexandreMazzia) October 1, 2020

News, he was to get some during a meeting with the town hall during the week.

Except that they are not necessarily good.

“They explained to me that they had tolerated my installation in front of my restaurant because of the Covid, but now I have no more room.

When I ask them where the project is, they don't know.

They do not even know if the results of the call for tenders will come out, they are in the vague ”, laments the chief.

And why not continue to sit in front of the restaurant?

“It has to be clear, I want to do it right and be right in my boots.

It's a matter of common sense, I'm not going to abuse it, ”he warns.

"I will not wait two months"

On the side of the town hall, it is explained that "the call for projects is not abandoned, it is being processed".

“We don't know why it is taking so long, apparently the applications are being considered.

We are awaiting the allocation of locations.

But since it is a public market, it is quite possible that it is not Mr. Mazzia who obtains the location, ”says the town hall.

The deadline for responding to the call for projects for the two locations, the one at the corner of rue Paradis and Prado for which Alexandre Mazzia applied, and a second on the MuCEM esplanade, was however set at 20 August.

Almost two months ago.

Alexandre Mazzia does not understand: “They tell me that they are going to set up new locations, but are not able to tell me where it is.

They just told me that they would get back to me.

"

A regrettable situation when you know the approach of the two-star chef.

“I don't want to create a controversy and I want to wait.

But I won't wait two months.

It's a shame because many municipalities in the region want my food truck at their place.

There are also a lot of events that would like me to come.

But I do this for proximity, to keep the link.

To make the inhabitants of my neighborhood taste good products, to make the kids in the neighborhood taste ice cream, ”suggests Alexandre Mazzia.

Because in addition to his food truck, he has just ordered two tricycles to offer Italian ice cream and sorbets.

Gastronomy

Bouches-du-Rhône: “Agraphé red mullet”, wise and Sea Shepherd… Who is Glenn Viel, elected chef of the year?

Economy

Coronavirus in Marseille: "We do not understand anything", the (non) reopening of bars turns into anything big

  • Food truck

  • Chief

  • Marseilles

  • Gastronomy

  • Cooked

  • Society