Open since 2021, Le Laboratoire’s growth has come to a halt after three steady years. Since January, business has fallen sharply, with an estimated 25% drop in sales over the first six months of 2025. “Until December, things were perfect. We were going up and up. Then, in January, the plane crashed,” sums up chef Benoît Gonella. Faced with this downturn, the team reacted. A new menu, an overhaul of the service, renovation of the restaurant: a number of projects have been launched to get the momentum going again. “We challenged ourselves. Even if we don’t think we had anything to do with it, we want to change things,” explains the chef.
The first change: the menu. Previously conceived as a constantly evolving culinary laboratory, it was modified in depth every fortnight, sometimes even daily. “It was an ephemeral menu all the time. I’d put a few dishes on the screens, and I’d change them almost every day.” But this approach was too unstable to create habits. “People would say: ‘Yes, it’s great, it’s fresh.’ But they didn’t come back.”
The lunchtime service, meanwhile, remains unpredictable. “Some days we serve 30 covers inside and 18 on the terrace. Other days, it’s zero. We don’t know why.” The chef puts forward a number of hypotheses: the rise of teleworking, changing consumer habits, competition from ready-to-eat food options. “People buy their salads for €15. But hey, that’s the way it is.”
Since Tuesday 1 July, the menu features two colours: in black, the dishes that will be offered for the entirety of the summer season; six ephemeral dishes (in red text) will be renewed each month. “This way, people can get into the habit of coming to eat a particular dish, such as escalope, filet, tartare and scallop ceviche. And those who come to discover also find new things.”
Creating landmarks, retaining creativity
To appeal to a wider customer base, Gonella is changing his formula. Alongside the short-lived creations, some dishes are becoming permanent. “I’ve noticed that some of them work very well: the fillet, the tartare, the raviole, the gnocchi,” explains the chef. “These are sure-fire values.”
This new stability offers a clearer reading of the menu. “Before, with a 100% ephemeral offer, large groups were reluctant to come. It was too complicated to choose. Now it’s much clearer.” Creativity remains at the heart of the project. “We need a bit of both: somefthing for the adventurous, and something for those looking for comfort.” Current starters include an avocado-pasta-grape tartine, a crisp melon-goat salad, and an œuf parfait (literally, a “perfect egg”) with corn. “The egg is always on the menu. I just change the shape: sometimes it’s served cold, other times it’s hot, or soft or perfect.”
My best friend in the dining room told me something quite clever: ‘Regulars have to have their habits.’ If there are no habits, people don’t come back."
The daily special also follows the seasons. “I can’t serve a tartare in November. Even if it’s doing well, I’ll adapt.”
A homemade balance, with an artisanal approach
In the kitchen, Gonella keeps a hand on the stoves. He creates 80% of the menu himself, including the desserts. “I do the desserts too. They’re not witchy things, just restaurant desserts. You just have to make them well and present them well,” he stresses.
Everything is cooked on site using fresh produce, mainly supplied by La Provençale. “Ninety percent of the products come from there. For some of the meat, I work with a butcher in Colmar whom I know well.” In the kitchen, the chef is supported by a young 24-year-old cook, who recently graduated. “I train him.” It’s a small team, by choice as much as by necessity. “If I want to maintain this quality without raising prices, I can’t take on more staff. Otherwise, I’d have to review my prices. And that’s something I don’t want to do.”
A façade in waiting, an image to be rebuilt
Beyond what’s served on the plate, work is continuing on the outside of the restaurant. Le Laboratoire has begun a gradual renovation of its façade. “We’ve already redone the outside parts of the windows. Now I’m waiting for authorisation to redo the lower part,” explains Gonella. The aim is to improve visibility. “A lot of people walk past without noticing that there’s a restaurant. This building has always been a café, never a restaurant.”
Despite the uncertain context, the chef remains confident. “I’ve always been successful. So I don’t see why it shouldn’t work here. Even if there’s a dip, the wave will rise again. You have to be positive. That’s my motto.”
This article was originally published in French.
