A jewel of culture, catering and nightlife in Lyon, the Bellona surprised everyone by announcing its definitive closure at the end of July. A lowering of the curtain that surprised and disconcerted the loyal customers of the boat installed on the banks of the Rhône in Confluence since 2014. Event restaurant offering traditional and model cuisine (with brunch for 200 people on Sundays) and cultural hall, the Bellona had also taken the habit of turning into an event room during the week with the reception of numerous seminars, cocktails and corporate events. Come weekends, the spot operated a radical change of atmosphere to make way for electronic music from local collectives and organizers who programmed evenings and concerts there, promoting local artists alongside national and international big names.
7 years of litigation between tenant and landlord
But after 9 wonderful years of romance and success, the Bellona had to decide to suddenly close its doors last weekend. And after conducting the investigation, we are able to establish the truth and reveal the reasons for this sudden closure. In litigation for 7 years with the company owning the boat which did not respect its obligations under the lease, the Bellona won a lawsuit in 2020 allowing it to continue to operate the premises. In addition, the boat having to be put in dry dock for technical checks every 10 years, the address had to close the doors of its restaurant following the inaction of the owner in terms of safety.
An administrative closure ordered by the town hall of Lyon
In August 2022, after more than 5 weeks of waiting and without activities, the Bellona was forced to dismiss the restaurant staff for purely economic reasons that have nothing to do with the dispute (does the Covid speak to you?) . But last June, the town hall of Lyon decided to administratively close the boat. The reason: the owner, who is the only owner able to do so, did not carry out the compliance checks (the law does not provide any possibility for the tenant to compensate for these breaches). Taken by the throat, the tenant therefore suffers this situation endangering the existence of the goodwill and is forced to open only the outdoor spaces at the quay (in agreement with the town hall).
Along with this forced closure, the lessor then decided to terminate the commercial lease. In such a context, the lessee of the boat therefore took the difficult but unavoidable (and no doubt reasonable) decision to put an end to the operation of the establishment.
2023-07-28 23:27:39
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