Court declares Moretti restaurant Au Vieux Chalet in Lens bankrupt

The bankruptcy

The Sierre district court declared Le Vieux Chalet 1978 Lens GmbH bankrupt on 3 November, and the decision was published in the Valais cantonal official gazette on Monday, 9 November. The company ran Au Vieux Chalet, a restaurant in the neighbouring village of Lens that belonged to Jessica and Jacques Moretti, who also operated the Le Constellation bar. Radio station Rhône FM reported the ruling first, and the court confirmed it to Keystone-SDA. The court dissolved the company of its own motion, and the ruling affects only the operating company, not a personal bankruptcy of the couple. Jessica Moretti was the managing director, while Jacques Moretti was a shareholder with individual signing authority.

The fire and its aftermath

Flames broke out on 1 January at Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, where sound-absorbing foam on the ceiling caught fire from spark-spraying party fountains during a New Year's Eve party. The fire spread within seconds, and many people did not reach the exit in time. It killed 41 people and injured 115, 80 of them with burns, some of them very severe. Authorities then closed all three venues run by the couple: Le Constellation, which was destroyed, the Le Senso bar-restaurant in Crans-Montana, and Au Vieux Chalet in Lens. The couple had taken over Le Constellation in 2015, opened Le Senso in 2020, and taken on Au Vieux Chalet at the end of 2023.

Killed41

Injured115

Injured with burns80

Killed

41 people

Injured

115 people

Injured with burns

80 people

Data from the article text

Criminal investigation

Valais prosecutors are investigating Jessica and Jacques Moretti for negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and negligent arson, and Jessica Moretti is also accused of forgery of documents. The probe covers 17 suspects in total, including current and former officials of the municipality of Crans-Montana, who are accused of lapses in safety inspections. The municipality has admitted that it missed fire-safety checks. The Morettis deny that fire-safety measures were not observed. The couple was questioned again in early November, and they are due back for questioning on 2 December. Jacques Moretti was held for two weeks after the fire, released on bail, and arrested again in mid-August on suspicion of domestic violence against his wife, and he has been in custody since.

Reopening plan and protests

Rumours in the summer suggested the couple planned to return to the hospitality business, with Au Vieux Chalet and Le Senso reopening. Victims' families opposed the plan, and a petition they launched gathered more than 25,000 signatures calling for the venues to stay closed. The couple reportedly planned to reopen Au Vieux Chalet on 1 May 2026, a plan prosecutors reportedly stopped at short notice. The Morettis' lawyers said coverage of the plans brought insults and death threats against their clients. They argued that reopening would keep assets meant to compensate the victims, and the couple had planned to donate any profits from Senso and Au Vieux Chalet to an association supporting victims of the Le Constellation fire.

Damage claims and assets

Sébastien Fanti, who says he represents 24 people affected by the fire, told Rhône FM that the bankruptcy is an expected first step. He estimates total damage at between 200 million and 1 billion francs. He puts the most the Morettis could contribute to covering claims at 8 to 10 million francs. Even in the best case, the couple could cover only a small part of the claims, and he argues the public sector would have to bear a much larger share.