After having tested several illegal restaurants, which have decided to remain open despite the ban they have been hit since October 29, Le Parisien questioned the very media Philippe Etchebest on the subject.
The starred chef does not endorse these clandestine openings, of which he says he has discovered the phenomenon.
But he is once again worried about the future of his profession.
Do you understand government decisions regarding restaurant closures?
PHILIPPE ETCHEBEST.
I find that there is a lack of consistency in certain choices when we close cinemas, theaters, restaurants while leaving company restaurants, school canteens, subways open.
Christmas was dangerous.
Like the summer holidays before.
We do not draw enough conclusions from what we have experienced.
Like when I show up in
Kitchen Nightmare
, people hate me, and in the end, it works.
There, to be effective or popular in the long term, it is sometimes necessary to take unpopular measures.
The virus is still circulating.
If necessary, you might as well go to the end
(Editor's note: and re-define)
.
What is the situation in the restaurant industry today?
Most restaurants had taken all the necessary steps and had strict protocol in place this summer when we reopened.
And that comes at a cost.
So this second closure is terrible, for large restaurants as well as small establishments.
Some will not survive.
In this context, how do you see restaurant owners who open illegally?
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I'm not calling for disobedience, but I understand.
Some are at the end of the line, which leads them to make these kinds of extreme decisions.
Today, government aid concerns more restaurateurs and is better suited.
But the situation remains very complicated for many of us.
There will be dramas.
Isn't take-out a sufficient solution?
Going through applications like Uber which take 20 to 30%, it hurts the buttocks.
But during this second confinement I had no choice financially, and I set up a click and collect.
Now, with the curfew at 6 p.m., it's a new blow.