Since April 2021, Les Darons have found their place in the heart of Villé. An independent bookstore, games area, meeting place and event venue, the shop run by Yannick and Sébastien is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year with an anniversary party organized on Friday, May 22nd at the MJC Le Vivarium.
But behind the shelves filled with books and board games, there are above all two long-time friends, a project that matured during lockdown, and a true profession of passionate people.
A story of friendship… and a bookstore
Before taking over Les Darons, the two partners already had very full careers.
Sébastien worked for 17 years in heritage-related training at the University of Strasbourg. He then worked as a surveyor in Sélestat. Having arrived in the Vallée de Villé in 2012, he remembers that the bookstore quickly became “the Saturday morning outing” with his daughter Susie.
Yannick, for his part, knew the valley thanks to his brother who lived there. He settled there permanently in July 2011 after meeting his wife, who had just been hired at the Villé media library. Before that, he ran a small cleaning business in Strasbourg. Accustomed to working with the public, he then joined the media libraries in Sainte-Croix-aux-Mines and Barr, while also working part-time at the Totem bookstore.
Because before Les Darons, there was Totem, run in Villé by Sébastien and Eugénie. Yannick already worked there a few days a week and had notably provided replacements during Eugénie's maternity and parental leaves.
The links between them all had already existed for a long time.
The trigger of the lockdown
In the summer of 2020, just after the COVID period, Eugénie and Sébastien, who ran two bookstores (in Villé and Schiltigheim), wanted to sell the Villé store.
Around a barbecue, the idea of a takeover began to germinate.
Yannick already wanted to further develop the children's area and the world of board games for a more family-oriented audience. Together, the two friends finally decided to embark on the adventure.
This was followed by nearly ten months of preparation: files, committees, grant applications, meetings with the chartered accountant and support from Alsace Initiative.
The takeover was approved in the fall of 2020, the contracts were signed in March 2021 and the bookstore officially opened on April 12, 2021.
A bookstore that is constantly evolving
Since its opening, the store has constantly evolved. The space has been enlarged, the opening hours extended, and new product categories developed.
A former storage room has been transformed into a dedicated children's area. Today, the bookstore boasts approximately 5600 books as well as a wide selection of board games.
Every six months or so, the two managers rearrange part of the shop: painting, new furniture, new displays, highlighting the stock… Nothing is set in stone.
“It’s a job you’re passionate about,” they summarize. Between monthly meetings, poring over publishers’ catalogues to buy new releases, accounting, orders, events and advising clients, the days are very full.
Yannick perfectly illustrates their philosophy: "Sometimes we surprise customers who think they'll have to order a certain title, when in the end we actually have it on the shelf!! We have quite varied tastes."
Find the right balance
Over the years, Les Darons have also developed local activities and partnerships. Examples include Ludirium, which has become their partner for game nights, and the school library for the Reading Club.
A choice that developed naturally over time.
The two partners explain that they sought “a happy medium” between an independent bookstore, a living space and a convivial space.
They also observe a significant overproduction in the world of books and board games in recent years, which doesn't necessarily make their job any easier. Their role therefore also involves sorting through, selecting, advising, and understanding their customers' tastes.
The literary seasons of August, September and January particularly punctuate their activity, as do the various game festivals that highlight upcoming releases not to be missed or crown the best games of the year.
A valley they deeply appreciate
Having been settled in the Villé Valley for over ten years, Yannick and Sébastien particularly appreciate the close relationship with the local residents and the local dynamic.
Over the years, they have been able to count on a great deal of support: residents, local organizations, the media, and partner associations. The bookstore has built a loyal readership, and the Darons thank them warmly!
And for them, the name “Les Darons” ultimately sums up their world quite well: a family-oriented, friendly and deeply human place, also built around their lives as parents.
A festive anniversary party on May 22nd
To celebrate these five years, Les Darons are organizing an anniversary party on Friday, May 22nd at the MJC Le Vivarium in Villé starting at 17pm.
The goal: to share a good time with the public in an atmosphere true to the spirit of the bookstore.
On the program: folk blues rock concert with Thomas Schoeffler Jr., game tables hosted by Le Ludirium, Table Curling tournament, book signings by local authors they like, micro-quizzes, prizes to be won and fun discoveries including the game Terrassik from KometH Editions.
On the food side, Yilmaz Grocery will also be present and the Wunderbar will be open for drinks in a good atmosphere.
And the adventure doesn't stop there: an evening of "music and poetry" will take place on Tuesday, June 2nd at the bookstore and an afternoon of games on June 14th in Dambach-la-Ville in addition to new projects which are already continuing to be prepared.