• Crous Bretagne has confirmed the closure of a Resto U at the end of June to make way for a student residence project.
  • Students worry about not having time to eat, while the nearest UK is more than a ten-minute walk away.
  • More than three million meals were served in the Crous de Bretagne in 2022, making it the largest in France.

No communication was made of the decision. However, it is not without consequences for the students of the La Harpe campus. The rumor that swelled in the ranks of the Staps network turned out to be true. On June 30, the campus in the north of Rennes will see its university restaurant close its doors permanently. Less than a month before the deadline, Crous Bretagne has just confirmed the closure of the U restaurant in favor of a real estate project intended to accommodate a student residence. The administration explains that "development studies are underway" to design housing in place of the U restaurant as part of the State-region plan. A real need in the face of the housing crisis. But was it necessary to close the UK so quickly when no construction should start for several years? The Crous explains that the restaurant of Rennes-2 "has not experienced major investments" in recent years "which makes it difficult to operate". Five hundred to 700 people come to eat there during school periods.



On the student side, disappointment and anger prevail. A petition has even been launched. For example, a regular visitor is surprised by the timing chosen by the CROUS to decide on this closure. "This decision has been made for several months, but now falls, when the academic year is over, and there are almost no more students," she said. The Crous wants to be reassuring and reminds that students will be able to go to the restaurant U Le Métronome "and enjoy a new dining room, with its own distribution line".

Do they have to run there?

A first problem arises: the travel time of just over ten minutes on foot while students do not have much time. With a touch of irony, we could advise them to run (since they are in Staps). It is especially the endless queue that raises questions. "It's going to be complicated," says one student. In a context of inflation, attendance at Restos U has exploded in recent years. Three million meals were served in 2022 in Brittany alone. To address concerns, the development of a "Crous Market" is being considered at La Harpe. Eventually, the university plans to move the Staps program to the Villejean campus. But again, this is not expected to happen for several years.

The good news is that a restaurant will be open every evening on each of the three campuses of Rennes center, Villejean and Beaulieu. A recurring request that will allow students to eat at the social rate of 3.30 euros and 1 euro for scholarship holders.

  • Society
  • Rennes
  • Ille-et-Vilaine
  • Brittany
  • Crous
  • Student
  • Student housing
  • Restaurant
  • Restoration
  • Meal