Yssingeaux. Smash burger bar, Le Hype, has opened its doors on Place de la Victoire.

At 27, Paul Rocher decided to take the plunge and open his own business, a bar and snack bar located on Place de la Victoire in Yssingeaux. Hype opened its doors in early August, in the former premises of the Chez elleS restaurant, the establishment run by Stéphanie Langin.

A baker by trade, Paul grew up in Apilhac, five minutes from downtown Yssingeaux. His grandparents, Marie-Louise and Antoine Rocher, once owned a blue overalls shop on Rue Saint-Antoine. He began his apprenticeship at the age of fifteen at La Guide, with Jean-Luc Bost.

After eleven years spent in bakeries in Yssingeaux and Pertuis, and one year in pastry making in Retournac, on the Île gourmande, the young man decided to try the adventure of entrepreneurship.

“The idea of snacking crossed my mind a year ago. I thought Yssingeaux lacked a restaurant of this type. I was looking for a place to set up. Chez elleS closed in February . When I saw that nothing was opening, I contacted the owner who offered me a rental-management contract. Since it had a license IV, I decided to also open a bar.”

In just a few days, Paul went from employee to boss. He quit his job at the Guide bakery on Thursday, July 31st, and opened Hype on August 4th. He works with his partner, Aurore Verot. The couple set up two large high tables inside, each seating a dozen people, to facilitate interaction between customers.

It is also possible to eat at the bar or set up a traditional table for people with reduced mobility. The terrace offers around thirty additional seats.

The snack bar offers the smash, available to eat in or take away. It's a burger without raw vegetables, consisting of three small 45-gram hamburger patties, cheddar cheese, sauce, and homemade onion compote. It's available on its own for 8 euros, or 12 euros with fries and a drink.

For one euro less, there's a chicken version. The chef also offers the American sandwich, a sandwich made with bakery bread, a hot dog with Viennese bread, paninis, wings, and local charcuterie boards for three people.

The children's menu consists of nuggets or a sausage, fries, and a drink. Hype is open all summer, seven days a week.

Le Hype 8, Place de la Victoire in Yssingeaux - 04.71.59.50.80 - opening hours: 8 a.m. (6 a.m. on Thursdays) to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).