“Café Miramar bonjouuuur! A table for two outdoors? No worries, it's noted. The voice of Stéphanie Chauvel, who manages this establishment on the seafront in Grau-du-Roi (Gard) with her husband, becomes singing. Here, from the early hours of the morning, nobody sulks. Finally, it's D-day… waited for two and a half months. The complete reopening of the restaurant (exterior and interior) sounds like a deliverance.
The closing, on the evening of March 15 after the announcements of Edouard Philippe, had taken the establishment of courses. “We couldn't even believe it. In a few hours, we had to lower the curtain, ”recalls a waitress, hidden behind her surgical mask. “We accommodated customers who had booked several nights and that we had to kick out all at once. A young woman without housing solutions, who was leaving for Spain, even cried, ”remembers Stéphanie, contrite by this surreal situation which she had to manage as a good trader.
VIDEO. In Paris, the happiness found of cafes on the terrace
This Tuesday, the nightmare is now only a bad memory. "Our customers keep calling, we are already talking a lot on the phone, they want to get away from it all, the sea and the outdoors," says Stéphanie, who travels through her establishment at the pace of a marathon runner.
From the first service, the terrace of the most trendy establishment of the seaside resort, sold out. Thirty covers against 45 usually. Just like the three-star rooms with the view of the horizon for the next weekends, despite the 109 euros to spend for the night. At midday sharp, the first regulars point their noses. A couple of chic retirees, Louis Vuitton bag for madam, and small chihuahua under the arm for gentleman dressed in a navy blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt. This is it, the season has started.
Obviously, we had to adapt to the health crisis. Eight tables on the terrace were sacrificed to respect the regulatory meter between each row, the wine list was laminated to be disinfected, and the menu, now made of paper, became disposable. Without forgetting the hydroalcoholic gels which are ostensibly enthroned everywhere. And finally, no question of letting customers enter the common areas without a mask. Just like the ten employees who are busy as in a hive.
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
Inside, despite the authorization, no one has lunch. Here the atmosphere is joyful and sunbathing. In the city, no case of coronavirus was recorded during the crisis, not even in the Ehpad. "It is absolute deliverance, it is finished all these inconsistencies with this confinement, rejoice in choir Marc and Jacqueline seated at the beach. This crisis has created a globalization of fear when here there have been no sick people in the city. "
"We adapt as best we can," continues the manager, who keeps answering the phone to register reservations. There are still many things to resolve, but we have no other choice. For example, we are going to switch to a menu system that we can download to our mobile phone. It's still complicated, but it calms the heart to see the everyday resume its course. What a joy to hear a regular say You are finally open … Hallelujah! I have the impression that we put life on hold and that it has finally started again. "