News reports have appeared about an explosion at the bar Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
A 2016 news report from Le Nouvelliste quotes the owner of the bar around his acquisition of the establishment:
Coup de foudre! Ce commerçant corse décide d’ouvrir une affaire. Ça tombe bien, le Constellation, au centre de Crans, est à remettre. Il faudra attendre juin 2015 pour signer un accord. Durant six mois, Jacques Moretti retrousse ses manches et relooke l’établissement. «J’ai quasiment tout fait moi-même. Regardez ces murs, il y a 14 tonnes de pierres sèches, elles viennent de Saint-Léonard!» Depuis décembre 2015, le Constellation sert d’écrin aux produits corses. Charcuteries, vins, bières, liqueur de myrte et même whisky au parfum de châtaigne. «Mais attention, j’ai à cœur de présenter aussi le terroir valaisan. Vous avez de très bons vins, c’est un plaisir de les servir à mes clients.» Le Corse avoue se sentir très bien chez nous. «Vous savez, on est pareil. On est d’abord des montagnards. Avec la tête dure, mais surtout avec beaucoup de gentillesse.»
Translated to English:
(Translated to English) It was love at first sight! This Corsican businessman decided to open a business. Conveniently, Le Constellation, in the center of Crans, was for sale. He had to wait until June 2015 to sign the agreement. For six months, Jacques Moretti rolled up his sleeves and completely renovated the establishment. "I did almost everything myself. Look at these walls, there are 14 tons of dry-stone masonry, and the stones come from Saint-Léonard!" Since December 2015, Le Constellation has been showcasing Corsican products: cured meats, wines, beers, myrtle liqueur, and even chestnut-flavored whisky. "But mind you, I'm also keen to feature local Valais products. You have some excellent wines here; it's a pleasure to serve them to my customers." The Corsican admits he feels very much at home here. "You know, we're alike. We're both mountain people at heart. Stubborn, perhaps, but above all, very kind."
Jacques Moretti on LinkedIn.
The news report notes he did everything himself but doesn't pose questions about whether controlled works, such as the electrical, gas and fire safety systems, were a DIY.
The Facebook page for the bar has been taken down. The bar published a profile, with pictures and contact details, on the site of the local tourist office.
These are the details the owners chose to make public:
Rue Centrale 35
3963 Crans-Montana
constellationcransmontana@gmail.com
+41 78 717 14 86
www.facebook.com/leconstellation
Switzerland has 26 cantons and each canton maintains its own business register.
I previously had to research the scandal involving an illegal legal insurance scheme being operated across the border between Switzerland and France. The presence of records about multiple nominee owners and business entities in different cantons made it hard to find the truth. Nonetheless, the truth came out on the JuristGate web site.
Le Constellation is in the Canton of Valais and the business records can be searched in this public database.
The search reveals the owners are Jacques Moretti, a French citizen domiciled in Lens and Jesicca Macif, his spouse, who is also a French citizen.
The records mention they are domiciled in the Swiss village Lens, not to be confused with the French city of the same name.
Searching for their names finds other businesses, including Le Vieux Chalet 1978, and Le Senso.
More links
Article about the couple in Altitude Immobilier magazine
Blog about their other restaurant from food critic Gilles Pudlowski.
To read more about researching businesses in Switzerland, please see the JuristGate web site.