at the end of the tunnel, and by that, i mean not in a negative way, it s sort of. ..getting control of my life again. and then very, very sad emotions because it s the end of an era and it s. i also feel sad and emotional for all my team here, some of which, in fact, most of which i deem as family. and some of them, we ve grown up together, basically. so very, very mixed emotions. and the last the last week, i know i am going to be a wreck. why? why are you shutting down? because you could fill every table here for the foreseeable future. everybody wants to come and eat here if they can afford it. so why shut it? yeah, i mean, the business is successful and it s. ..it is going well. reservations are very good especially since i announced that we re closing, it s gone crazy. but there are many reasons. i mean, first of all, i m getting on a bit. i m 63 and i m thinking, what next? do i want to sign up to another lease? the lease is coming to an end. so it made me refle
because there s light at the end of the tunnel, and by that, i mean not in a negative way, it s sort of. ..getting control of my life again. and then very, very sad emotions because it s the end of an era and it s. i also feel sad and emotional for all my team here, some of which, in fact, most of which i deem as family. and some of them, we ve grown up together, basically. so very, very mixed emotions. and the last the last week, i know i am going to be a wreck. why? why are you shutting down? because you could fill every table here for the foreseeable future. everybody wants to come and eat here if they can afford it. so why shut it? yeah, i mean, the business is successful and it s. ..it is going well. reservations are very good especially since i announced that we re closing, it s gone crazy. but there are many reasons. i mean, first of all, i m getting on a bit. i m 63 and i m thinking, what next? do i want to sign up to another lease? the lease is coming to an en
because there s light at the end of the tunnel, and by that, i mean not in a negative way, it s sort of. ..getting control of my life again. and then very, very sad emotions because it s the end of an era and it s. i also feel sad and emotional for all my team here, some of which, in fact, most of which i deem as family. and some of them, we ve grown up together, basically. so very, very mixed emotions. and the last the last week, i know i am going to be a wreck. why? why are you shutting down? because you could fill every table here for the foreseeable future. everybody wants to come and eat here if they can afford it. so why shut it? yeah, i mean, the business is successful and it s. ..it is going well. reservations are very good especially since i announced that we re closing, it s gone crazy. but there are many reasons. i mean, first of all, i m getting on a bit. i m 63 and i m thinking, what next? do i want to sign up to another lease? the lease is coming to an en
you in your business, but all restaurants right now, and that is a very tough economic climate. mmm. and actually it s been a climate building for years. and perhaps you were knocked back and many others were, more than anything, by the covid pandemic. and ijust wonder, as you reflect now on what that meant to your business and many other restaurant businesses in this country and around the world, just how tough was it? it was incredibly tough. and i will never forget those days where i had to come in here to check the premises, obviously, for insurance reasons, and to make sure everything was all right and to come in to. because you shut down. for the first time in your family history with le gavroche, it shut its doors. you had to, of course. we had to. lockdown was lockdown. but to come in here. ..lights out, the smell of a stale restaurant, the dust everywhere made me weep. did it? and made me cry. i sat down over there on one of the banquettes and just put my head in my
michel roux, welcome to hardtalk. it is a great pleasure to be sitting in this restaurant, one of the most famous in london, been in your family for the best part of six decades. the countdown to closure has begun. how do you feel about that? incredibly mixed emotions. it s. it s obviously happiness because there s light at the end of the tunnel, and by that, i mean not in a negative way, it s sort of. ..getting control of my life again. and then very, very sad emotions because it s the end of an era and it s. i also feel sad and emotional for all my team here, some of which, in fact, most of which i deem as family. and some of them, we ve grown up together, basically. so very, very mixed emotions. and the last the last week, i know i am going to be a wreck. why? why are you shutting down? because you could fill every table here for the foreseeable future. everybody wants to come and eat here if they can afford it. so why shut it? yeah, i mean, the business is successful an