Hi everyone,
I have been in the business of chambres d'hotes for quite a few years, but never served meals. I am considering it for the first time. I know that you are required to have a license (I only want to serve wine or beer with meals, not hard liquor). I am not sure who must be contacted for this license and how much it will cost. On internet I saw mention of a formation on alcohol that was required and that was expensive (true?) I would also like to have an idea of the financial benefit not counting the extra time spent working. Maybe it will bring more guests?
Thanks in advance. I hope you are all getting reservations these days. It seems to be picking up a bit now, finally for us!
Calista
Calista, apart from the licences, there is also the requirement that you eat with your guests if you are running a chambre d'hote. with evening meals.
This is to set you apart from hotels. The hotel lobby is becoming more and more strict because it sees anyone else as competition.
I already have the necessary experience, catering certificates and food hygiene, but do not want to have to eat with guests each evening, it would not be good for our waistlines!
Dear Krister,
We had the petit license from the Douane with our previous B&B and am now booked to do the shorter Permis d'Exploitation course for B&B's with our local hotel and catering training department. Your post was very useful, thanks.
I found it very difficult to sign on to this one as they wanted me to do the longer 3 day course which is much more expensive. This shorter one is 324TTC which can be deducted from costs or if you run a business you can get it back from your training contributions - see accountant if you are running a business.
I'll let you know how it went.
Bye for now
Thea
I am late replying, Jan, but I appreciate very much your contribution to this topic. It is not always easy to keep up with French legal requrements as they seem to be always changing!
There will also soon be a requirement to do a food hygiene course. Can't remember where I've seen the correct link for this, but we had a visit from someone last week from our local chamber of commerce who warned us this requirement has just been brought in, and that they were looking to see what training they could offer. She said it would be 20 hours for restaurant owners and 7 for B&Bs.
Jan
Thanks for the info! Very helpful.
http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/R15902.xhtml
We filled in the form and sent it to the local Douane office. We have the "petit license restaurant".
About the education, here is copy of the latest newsletter from Accueillir Magazine:
Boissons alcoolisées, l'obligation de formation allégée à compter de juin
Le décret 2013-191 publié hier au Journal Officiel allège l'obligation de formation des loueurs de chambres d'hôtes qui passe de 20 à 7 heures.
Rappelons que la loi oblige actuellement les loueurs de chambres d'hôtes servant des boissons alcoolisées à suivre une formation de 20 heures sur trois jours afin d'obtenir le permis d'exploitation. Cette attestation de formation est requise pour l'ouverture d'un débit de boissons ou d'une table d'hôtes. Cette formation a pour principal objet de rappeler aux exploitants toutes les règles liées à la gestion d'un débit de boissons (lutte contre l'alcoolisme, protection des mineurs…)
Cette obligation de formation est allégée à compter du 1er juin 2013. Les loueurs de chambres d'hôtes pourront suivre une formation spécifique d'une durée de 7 heures sur une journée et obtiendront une attestation qui vaudra permis d'exploitation dans le seul cadre de l'activité chambres d'hôtes.
Maybe you should wait until June ;-)
When we got the license in 2009, there was no education requirement. For the moment nobody has imposed it on us, not even Gîte de France, to which we belong.