Life and Challenges of Truck Drivers and Roadside Restaurants

Truck drivers seek warmth and connection, valuing good food and a welcoming atmosphere on the road.

### The Life of a Truck Driver: Challenges and Connections on the Road
* 🚛 Truck drivers face long hours and time away from family, with one driver noting, "**I spend more time in my truck than with my wife and child; my home is here**."
* 🍽 Drivers struggle to find **affordable, quality food** on the road, with one driver lamenting, "If we're condemned to **eat less every day**, it becomes less fun."
* 🍲 Some restaurant owners are working to improve truck stop dining, with one creating a **social media page to share recommendations and improve conditions for drivers**.
* 🚚 Infrastructure challenges, such as closed bridges, can significantly impact business, with one owner stating, "**The bridge on the Yonne is closed for a year, which is taking away 50% of our clientele**."
* 👩 Restaurant owners strive to create a welcoming atmosphere, with one saying, "**It should feel like home; it has to be clean**."
* 🍷 Some establishments focus on local, homemade food to attract and retain customers, with one owner noting, "**All the desserts are homemade**."
* 🌟 The "Les Routiers" label holds nostalgic value for many, with one customer saying, "**It reminds them of a restaurant where you eat well, are welcomed nicely, and where there’s a good atmosphere**."
* 🤝 Despite challenges, there is a sense of community and solidarity among drivers and restaurant owners, with one driver stating, "**Today, we are finding social connections on the road, which is very good**."

I’m all dressed up, but they’re not. Did they sleep well? Did they not sleep well? I try to be my best, smiling to make their morning and day easier. So here I am on site, I shower, I get ready, and when I go out, everything is usually prepared. Of course, I wake up at 4 a.m. every morning; it’s much easier to be on site than to travel 10, 15, or 20 kilometers. 

Now, I’m going to rest for 15 days. Yes, I’ve finished my 15 days. They are separated from their families, so it’s important to create moments of warmth, for them to feel good, to feel at home. They need to wake up in the morning here as if they were at home. I’m here with the drivers to listen to them, to hear anything they want to share about their morning. 

When we have a truck stop, it’s part of our life to wake up early and be available for them. We say, “Here you go, the restrooms are open, everything is clean, everything is at your disposal, breakfast is ready, just like at home.” You are served quickly, eat very well, and it’s not expensive. 

And here we go, the young ones. It’s not going well for me. In fact, everyone wants transportation; everyone wants to be delivered tomorrow.

But there are fewer and fewer options for truck drivers. So, this truck, I got it when it had 20,000 kilometers; now I have 647,558. That's quite a lot, right? In my truck, the only shoes allowed are socks. These are my son's. Yes, I spend more time in my truck than with my wife and child; my home is here. Well, I have a break now, so let's see about maybe grabbing a bite to eat, see what's available. It costs 5 euros; it's all soft. It's not bread that was made this morning by a baker. But, as they say, it depends. It's sad, really. I smelled the salad, but I don't know where the chicken is. If we're condemned to eat less every day, it becomes less fun. There's nobody around; the atmosphere is dead. There's no contact, nothing. I'm eating next to a coffee machine, and I tried talking to it, but it didn't respond. I spent 10 euros; if I add 4 euros more, that's 14 euros. I could go to a restaurant and get a starter, main course, cheese, dessert, coffee, and be seated with real food. I created a page on social media called A Restaurant for Truck Drivers. It's drivers who send me little messages, saying, Hey, Pépito, at such-and-such place, there's a restaurant you don't have on your list.

Here is the edited and translated text:

Here it is, the address, here are the hours, you can eat well there. The page allowed us to realize that there is still a certain solidarity on the road despite everything. The thing is, reputations are made and unmade very quickly; they disappear faster than they are created. A bad restaurant's reputation spreads quickly, while a very good restaurant takes a little time for that to be known, unfortunately. Over there, alright, thank you. I saw that Paris is open during COVID, so passing through the area, the least we can do is to support them since they were there for us. They understood that truck drivers and restaurants go hand in hand, including coffee. Here you go, enjoy your meal. It's super good, it's homemade, there are no issues with that. How are you? I'm good, and you? It's easy, it's perfect, thank you. We're staying typically. If you don't finish the meatballs, let me know. Today, we are finding social connections on the road, which is very good. It's not even a question of pleasure; it's a matter of tradition for you. There you go, it's done, I ate very well, I recommend the skate. I heard about someone who created a group thanks to this, and I virtually got to know Pépito. It's a small challenge on a commercial level; it's true that we want to make a good impression. It puts a little pressure on

Yes, for sure. I really like to spread it because at home their wives don't make a second house. I think it's been a while since I was wanted. The bridge on the Yonne is closed for a year, which is taking away 50% of our clientele. I know we can't prevent the construction; it has to happen, and I agree. But there may have been other solutions than prohibiting heavy trucks. We are not safe from having to close our doors when all of this ends, and honestly, it would hurt me to end like that. 

Well, I'm going to start my croque-monsieur. I thought that since it was super hot, why not make them in the style of Cyril Lignac? Just a little nod to him. Normally, I’m in the dining room serving 60 to 80 people; it’s a bit chaotic. Yes, I struggled a lot. I had some mishaps; what did I do? I think I burned the pastry. The pastry was my worst enemy. We put it in the oven, and it cooks for 4 hours and 30 minutes. We let it cool down, and then we cut it. It's easier to cut when it's well chilled than when it comes out of the oven. That adds a little bitterness to it, which I like. I add some sliced carrots. There are people who come from very far away to eat the head of veal. We are...

Encore à 80 kilos par semaine, c'est le plat préféré des gens qui viennent. Dans le temps, la salle, moi je l'ai connue, archi pleine. Celui qui arrivait à 12h30, il fallait qu'il attende dans l'entrée que les premiers partent pour avoir une place. Moi, ça me plaît bien parce qu'on mange bien, c'est bien servi, il y a du choix, le prix est très raisonnable. Ben voilà, pourvu que ça dure. 

53000 euros, comme ça, on ne peut pas les sortir. C'est encore une taxe en plus, c'est du racket. Si on avait été dans l'Yonne, qui se trouve à 300 mètres, on aurait été exonéré de cette taxe, et ça nous aurait vraiment fait du bien. On a essayé tout ce qu'on pouvait, que ce soit le maire ou le député, il n'y a rien à faire. Un menu routier à 15 euros, on ne fait pas trop de bénéfices dessus, donc pour payer les taxes et tout ça, moi je ne veux pas me lever à 4h du matin et me coucher à minuit pour donner les trois quarts de ce que j'ai gagné à l'État, ça c'est mort. 

Le petit perrichoire, c'est un endroit qui est connu. Les gens, quand ils passent par ici, ils savent qu'il faut manger. Voilà, bon appétit. Et

We always have hope. After all, we are not immune to what could still happen to us. You step back again, and then I pull them up to be able to remove the... This morning, I was opening the restaurant. Well, it's less tiring than riding horses until the end of the week. Look, you’re not interested. You wouldn’t want us to take it back, right? My daughter tells me, I don't know how you do it at 55, changing horizons and doing something else. She says, I don't know if I could do it. But as long as we have the drive... with some ice... because it's a bit like our baby, so we can't just let it go to someone we don't know. I find the road aspect more enjoyable than the pure and hard restaurant side. I think I have a bit of a special sense of humor sometimes, but they are nice. I allow myself to intrude. My name is Vincent, and we’ll see about working together, absolutely. As for everything that is ordered, there’s no problem. Hello to you! You also make dishes nearby, but that doesn't really interest me. It's not with the products that we are best positioned; we are really raw. Everything that is pastry, Gwen loves it, and I do too. In the afternoon, we will do some pastry, but for the next day...

veut rester dans la cuisine familiale. Tu tapes de la bavette, de la rampe et de l'onglet. Après, si je veux faire de l'entrecôte, je mets un supplément. Par contre, prendre des produits locaux aussi, il ne faut pas faire parce qu'on va bien s'entendre déjà. Ça se voit, il n'y a pas de raison. Je les ai déjà vus souvent, ils sont sympas. Quand j'entends Gwen, là, aujourd'hui parler, elle est plus timide d'habitude, et puis ça se voit sur elle qu'elle est timide. Mais là, elle est en confiance, donc ça va. Mais je compte beaucoup sur elle par rapport à ça. 

Bonjour, bonjour, ça fait du bien d'être arrivé parce que ça va. Et c'est ça, le fameux... c'est un endroit où le chauffeur est passé trois fois, et on connaît son prénom. Il y a un grand parking, il y a une grande salle, il y a un buffet de hors-d'œuvre, enfin c'est un relais routier. 

Ça, c'est mon grand-père tel que je l'ai connu. C'est mon grand-père, il doit avoir 70 ans au moins. Et les souvenirs, les souvenirs... Ils ne veulent plus à l'avenir être considérés comme des boucs émissaires et des gens sans importance. 

Ça commence en 1934 par la création d'un magazine,

He went to Marseille and it was a round trip, so it took him 10 days, I believe. He came back saying that truck drivers, well, they were very nice people, but they were also very lonely. They were people that no one cared for, and he became passionate about truck drivers, and that's how it all started. They were categorized by route, but the routes from city to city in the provinces meant that when we traveled from Paris to Cambrai, we could stop at Roy or Péronne. 

Good evening! How are you? I'm fine, and you? We're not here to eat at a five-star restaurant. What we want is to find reasonably priced food compared to travel expenses, to be well received, to have good food on our plates, and to leave satisfied. 

Let's see; we’ll try it out. We’re arriving at a truck stop restaurant, but I have no idea what it’s like. The cleanliness is average, even the placemats are just okay. It's a bit worn down, and it’s not new. Regarding the meat, lamb is not on the menu; it’s not focused, that’s for sure. Yes, some have disappeared. Why? Because they didn’t do what was necessary, but also because the owners were left alone. The restrooms are in a bit of a state, and the showers too. It definitely needs a fresh coat of paint.

On a weekend, the brush and a hit, that would still be quite nice. So, we're going to make a chestnut cream; that was necessary because I love it too. I would have thought I only eat it in winter, but no. We're going to make a mascarpone cream, so we’ll have a base of mascarpone cream. All the desserts are homemade. Gérard is running late; I like things to be organized. I prefer to think that by 10:30, I have everything wrapped up rather than constantly checking the time. It’s the same method as the buffet; the client can put four different foods on their plate, and here on the small tray, they will put four different jars. On average, we serve two to three jars per day per client. We’re going to enhance the stuffed dishes cooking in the pizza oven; it’s always better when it rests. With a budget of 15 euros, I manage because I cook, I transform, and I think that’s what gives me strength. I was invited as a cook at a roadside restaurant. I do a lot of things myself, and as those chefs who came to my place saw, I was the only one without a star. It’s an unforgettable memory; I had the honor of being next to Mr. and Mrs. Macron, the President of the Republic. It doesn’t happen often, so yes, it was an honor and a source of pride.

I fold the laundry for the drivers. Each driver takes their floor mat, which helps keep the shower clean since they wipe it down at the end while the egg whites are whipped for the chocolate mousse. Each client who comes in gets their individual towel. Once it's washed, it feels good, and the basket for dirty laundry is nice and clean. The truck drivers notice this; they feel recognized, and I think that's normal. It should feel like home; it has to be clean.

Hello, how are you? Very well, thank you. Even if I only see him twice a year, I recognize him. Sometimes I don't remember where he comes from, but I know he has been here before. Being recognized is important for a client. It's colorful; it's summer. The dish is not dry; it's very good. If I only had truck drivers for lunch, my business would be fragile. However, I have workers from local companies and construction sites, so I diversify my clientele. As a result, I have more customers at lunch than in the evening. I wouldn't have thought so, but it's really, really good. We don't serve sandwiches on highway herbs; that's not good. It's at 7.5, and you add 7 euros here, and you look.

Thank you, good luck. Right now, the restaurant belongs to the bank.

At that time, it will completely belong to us, the women first. We are far from that, hoping that everything will be fine. His parents are always there whenever there are things to do; they are always present. And then, bringing in a company when we've just spent who knows how much to buy the restaurant, we think we should avoid investing. It's not easy today with COVID and changing professions, getting loans from banks because of the closure. We will go to bed early, but we will have finished the restaurant. It wasn't very clean at the beginning; we need to do the ceiling here too. There are spiders, and are you sure that white is a good idea? It feels brand new when it's white like that, but it can peel. If it peels, it might fall off the wall, and if it falls off the wall, it could end up in the plates when we prepare food. Well, we need to think a little bit about that. It disgusts me; they are rotten. They came and did their time; this isn't my thing, it's not right. It's another world, it's something else. But now, I think it's not unconscious. I put everything on the line; it's hard. You saw it when you came with us, and still, it doesn't work well. He broke everything. Do you want him? Your son, well, your son with his mother. Even if we have a significant time frame for the restaurant, when there

One or two people spend time with them, either in the morning or on Wednesday, going to the horse or pony for the little one. Yes, we will see later. Finally, taking care of them, we will have time to do it. We also create bonds, even if we are like me, merchants. We create connections through habit and friendship, so we try to do everything that is nearby. 

Let's go shopping. Claudia always knows what she is going to do. You will make me a little note. Hi, how are you? I will take two reds, one rosé, and one white, okay? All right, as usual. It's going very well. So, when we sell half a liter of wine, 50 centiliters for 4 euros, we come out ahead. It's a very good price-quality ratio; it's not expensive. A quarter costs 22 euros, which is the lowest price compared to a Coca-Cola or a beer. 

Of course, it works well because the wine is good. The tourists who drink it give good feedback, so it also serves as quite a bit of advertising, which is not bad. It's a good deal. For the menu I have prepared, it’s perfect. They travel for their jobs all over France, and they are the ones who spread the good word, so to speak. When they talk about the wine from the 64 region, they mention the little cellar over there, which is local, and

So, that makes our advertisement, let's say, throughout France. I'm going to make a dish of lasagna. Why lasagna? Well, because I had leftover filling, so I added tomatoes to it. Automatically, it turns into something else. We're in anti-waste; that’s part of the concept of cooking. The less we throw away, the better our profit margin or savings, and the more we stay within the budget for the 15-euro menu. We need to think about that; it’s not a part of my life to throw things away. I know that lasagna at lunchtime is popular, so it has to be good.

The escalope is here, the pie is there. The owners are super nice, super friendly, and the plate is great. That’s enough. The welcome from the owner and the hostess is quick and efficient service. And of course, the showers, which we truck drivers really appreciate to relax in the evening and wash up. We come back even when we're not working.

Hello, how are you? Hi there! I'm good, and you? Here’s the menu I put up for you. You’re making a sauce with zucchini and everything. There are zucchinis; you can have whatever you want. I cleaned the inside of your microwave because it was filthy today. No problem, it works. Oh yes, this little salad smells good; let’s see how it turns out later. 

It’s going to stick;

Thank you, here I see vegetables; it’s a change from fries. So, I really like it; I like the presentation, I like everything. It’s good, there’s a nice sauce, it’s hot, that suits me, right? Yes, no, but there will be vegetables every day; we’re not going to have fries every day. That’s very good, just like we like it, with a friendly atmosphere. 

It was good, super! Yes, it’s positive; they seem satisfied. We’re going to create a new menu for next month. For the starters, we would add terrine of pig’s feet, toast with reform cheese, and warm potatoes with confit beef cheek. 

“Les Routiers” is a label that resonates with a generation, perhaps the generation of our parents, for example. It reminds them of a restaurant where you eat well, are welcomed nicely, and where there’s a good atmosphere. That’s really the image we wanted to convey, and it speaks to the customers right away. When they approach, they see this logo, and it immediately resonates with them. 

They said yes, it makes sense, just because it’s good homemade food, good family cooking, and the spirit we find in “les Routiers.” Even though we don’t welcome heavy trucks every day and we don’t have showers, we have had former truck drivers come in, and when they step through the door, they say it’s incredible

When I was younger, it’s nice to see this jersey; it’s a classic that is essential. They are beautiful without any fuss, and there’s a nice atmosphere that they have managed to maintain. It’s true that we enjoy finding this type of restaurant even in Paris. I had kidneys, mustard kidneys, the old-fashioned way, and in fact, this has been our family meal on Sundays since I was little. So here I am, just at home.

Les restos routiers : cuisine familiale, qualité et bon accueil

Food Story

to prepare for the day and create a warm atmosphere for truck drivers separated from their families.

Despite the challenges of transportation and limited options, the narrator offers support and shares restaurant recommendations through a social media page.

The importance of social connections and solidarity among truck drivers is highlighted, along with the impact of good and bad restaurant reputations.

Challenges and Resilience in the Restaurant Business

The closure of the Yonne bridge has significantly impacted the restaurant's clientele, causing concern for its future.

The owner shares their struggle with high taxes and the difficulty of making a profit from low-priced menus.

Despite the challenges, the restaurant has a loyal customer base and the owner remains hopeful for the future, expressing a strong commitment to the business.

The Importance of Family and Community in a Truck Stop Restaurant

The chef at the truck stop restaurant values local products and has a strong connection with the staff and customers.

The restaurant's history dates back to 1934, driven by a passion for helping lonely truck drivers.

The chef focuses on providing reasonably priced, homemade food and aims to create a welcoming atmosphere for travelers.

The Importance of Cleanliness and Client Recognition in a Restaurant

The laundry for drivers is folded, and individual towels are provided for clients, creating a clean and welcoming environment.

Recognizing returning clients is emphasized, and the restaurant diversifies its clientele to maintain a steady customer flow.

The owner is navigating the challenges of running the restaurant, including renovations and the impact of COVID, while striving to create a positive atmosphere and ensure the business's success.

Building Connections Through Local Business

The narrator spends time with a few people, creating bonds through habit and friendship while running a local wine business.

Claudia, a key figure, helps with wine sales, offering a good price-quality ratio and positive feedback from tourists, which aids in advertising the business.

The narrator also practices anti-waste cooking, using leftover ingredients for dishes like lasagna, and emphasizes the importance of building relationships and providing good service to customers.

The restaurant is offering a change from fries to vegetables, creating a positive and friendly atmosphere.

They are planning to introduce a new menu with homemade and family-style dishes.

The "Les Routiers" label resonates with customers, evoking nostalgia and a sense of comfort, while maintaining a classic and welcoming ambiance.