Will it close or not close?
To find out if you can still enjoy your flank steak and fries in a restaurant in Paris, Lille, Grenoble, Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse, you will have to wait until the end of the weekend, or even Monday.
The data is simple!
Given the speed of spread of the virus, these six cities are likely to go into "maximum alert zone" in the coming days, synonymous, in particular, with the closure of restaurants.
A nightmarish scenario for professionals already experienced for a week by the Aix-Marseille metropolis and by Guadeloupe.
Restaurants in both communities have in fact been ordered to lower the curtain at least until October 11.
And no question, for the moment, to return to this calendar.
The videoconference between representatives of the Umih (Union of Trades and Hospitality Industries) of Bouches-du-Rhône, local elected officials and the Ministers of Health and SMEs came to an end on Friday: “All that 'they know how to do this is to find figures to say that in Marseille the virus is spreading faster than elsewhere, gets angry Bernard Marty, president of the Umih of the Phocaean city.
We will end up disobeying and opening the restaurants!
"
The moderate optimism of the profession
But how to reconcile economic activity and protection of the health of the French?
Coming, at the same time, to the Ministry of Health with several proposals to strengthen the sanitary protocol and allow restaurants to be kept open even in the maximum alert zone, the representatives of the hotel and catering industry came out with an "optimistic moderate ”and still as many uncertainties.
Several ideas received a favorable response from the health authorities: the establishment of a notebook containing the contact details of customers to remind them in the event of contamination, the obligation to pay at the table or the incentive to download the StopCovid application. .
As for taking the temperature at the entrance to restaurants: "The experts told us that it was of no use," a participant wondered.
Yet that is what is done at airports.
"
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For their part, health experts have suggested limiting the sale of alcohol after a certain time so that customers keep their spirits and pass the distance from 1 meter to 1.50 meters.
“We said no,” says a source.
We only represent 8% of alcohol consumption in France.
And increasing the distance between the tables is not economically viable.
"
As a counter-proposal, the restaurateurs suggested that they indicate their maximum capacity at the entrance to their establishments.
“Beyond this gauge, no customer would be accepted and would have to wait their turn outside”.
Among the other avenues, limit the number of diners per table: ten maximum in areas with low infection, eight in moderately affected areas and six in areas where Covid-19 is highly circulating.
From now on, it is up to the High Council of Public Health to decide.
A long-awaited decision.
A turnover divided by ten
Even if in Paris, the operation Make noise in front of your establishment has mobilized little, discontent is mounting.
And not only with restaurateurs.
Among suppliers, uncertainty feeds concern: "This week, we hardly ordered anything for fear of having too much stock," confides Frédéric *, a wholesaler in the Rungis national interest market (Val-de -Marne), specialized in supplying restaurants.
If the government shuts them down next week, I will have to do the same.
"
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A new blow after that of confinement for this company which employs 50 people.
“Usually, I make 18 million euros in turnover per year.
This year, it will be divided by ten, ”continues the wholesaler.
And then ?
“We have no visibility, regrets Gino Catena, wholesaler in Rungis, CEO of Avigros, at the poultry pavilion.
The end of year celebrations are a third of the turnover more than in a normal month.
The installation of the capons was launched in May.
If we do not know where we are going, the health of our businesses is threatened.
"
