“There may be some assessment difficulties in establishments that mix several activities.
But the prefectural decree is very clear.
Only real restaurants can remain open. ”
For Robert Hatsch, commissioner of the 8th arrondissement, there is no question of talking about ambiguity in the new health rules imposed by the passage of Paris into a “maximum alert zone”.
"A restaurant must meet several criteria: have a real cuisine, a varied menu, a chef ... A sandwich maker on the counter is not enough", details the official who led, this Tuesday evening, the 'one of the first control operations around the rue de Ponthieu in the Champs-Elysée district.
First stop in a Syrian restaurant on rue du Colisée which houses a hookah bar in the basement.
The police went down there to check that this part of the establishment seemed to have been "neutralized".
Things go wrong back on the ground floor, in the restaurant, which was still deserted in the early evening.
A fine of 135 €!
"Where is the customer reminder register (mandatory) and where is the poster indicating the maximum authorized tonnage in the room?"
ask the police to the visibly a little overwhelmed boss.
He will be off for a PV (at 135 €) and a threat of closure if he does not get in order immediately.
The manager of a neighboring sandwich shop, also without a register, will be entitled to the same treatment.
At the Navy pub, a small brewery nearby, the boss, scalded by a recent administrative closure of 5 days, took his precautions.
A register with the names and telephone numbers of lunchtime customers stands prominently on the counter and the cafeteria / restaurateur even has a letter from his accountant attesting that the bulk of his turnover comes from catering.
But the famous indication of the restaurant's gauge is missing.
"He will correct this small defect immediately, otherwise we will have to close the restaurant", indicates Robert Hatsch, who continues to check rue de Ponthieu.
On the terraces of various brasseries, customers are seated in front of a beer and a plate of crisps as a meal.
Authorized?
"Yes ... If the barrier gestures and the sanitary protocol are respected", indicates the commissioner ... after a moment of silence.